THE National Food Authority (NFA) has been asked to allocate more rice to its outlets in Dagupan City as the present volume arriving was observed to be too low, compared to the actual demands for cheaper government rice.

The call was made by people who queued up before two NFA Bigasang Bayan here on Wednesday, Some of them failed to buy any rice as the outlets had only a quota of 30 bags each.

In less than hours, the 30 bags each allocated to the NFA retailers were sold.

Lito Doria, a member of the Palengke Watch Team of the NFA in western Pangasinan, said buyers were given cards which they presented to the two Bigasang Bayan outlets, one located at the Malimgas Public Market and at the Centro Mart Market.

The Bigasang Bayan outlet at Malimgas is owned by Gina Siapno, president of the Dagupan chapter of the Alyansa ng mga Magbibigas sa Dagupan, and the other at Centro Mart owned by Lolita Ramos.

Doria said sold to the buyers were imported rice from Thailand, place in packs at two kilos per pack.

Due to limited rice allocation, these two outlets served only 750 person each or 1500 persons. Each were sold two kilos of NFA rice each at P18.25 per kilo.

A third outlet, owned by Romualdo Barcellano, did not get any NFA rice allocation on Wednesday but was promised to be given its quota of 30 bags on Thursday.

Siapno said they can only sell what is allocated to them by NFA and their selling is being monitored strictly by members of the NFA’s Palengke Watch Team mobilized by NFA Provincial Manager Edilberto Libatique.

At the same time, rice retailers in Dagupan said the price of commercial rice is now going down because of big inflow of NFA rice imported from abroad.

They said that the lowest price of commercial rice is now down to P31 per kilo from P32 per kilo last week. (PNA)