NFA sees ongoing rice harvest as ‘good news’

DAGUPAN CITY—Palay harvest has started in some parts of the Ilocos region this early, bringing good news to the National Food Authority (NFA), which intends to buy at least 1.4 million bags of palay from farmers.

Carlito Co, NFA regional director, said farmers in the region usually start harvesting by late September and early to middle part of October. The harvest lasts until November.

But Co said reports from NFA field offices showed farmers in Dingras and Solsona towns in Ilocos Norte province have started harvesting their palay since the last week of August. There were also reports of early harvest in some areas of Alaminos City and Mangatarem town in Pangasinan province and in some towns in Ilocos Sur province.

The Malimgas Multipurpose Cooperative based in Calasiao town delivered 300 bags of palay to the NFA western Pangasinan office on Monday, said Frederick Dulay, NFA regional information officer.

Rice trader Roger Tan said farmers in Umingan and Sta. Maria towns in eastern Pangasinan who were able to plant early were also harvesting their crops.

“But the prices of palay are high now. Wet palay costs P18.50 a kilogram while  dried palay sells from P21.50 to P22 a kg. We are expecting the prices to go down when the harvest is in full blast already,” he said. Yolanda Sotelo, Inquirer Northern Luzon