NFA: Bicol in need of more rice

LEGAZPI CITY –– The National Food Authority (NFA) in Bicol said it was running low on rice supply due to heavy withdrawal requests by local government units (LGUs) spawned by the enhanced quarantine countermeasure in Luzon against coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Henry Treteza, NFA Bicol chief, said 147,000 bags of rice in NFA warehouses serve as buffer stock but these are good for only 12 days.

The NFA has so far released 31,550 bags to various LGUs in the region.

Treteza said 42,000 bags of rice were the daily average consumption in Bicol.

He said the heavy demand had forced the agency to mill 579,000 palay to boost the region’s buffer stock and to ask other NFA warehouses in other regions for assistance.

Treteza, however, said milling preparation would take time because most of the milling firms were closed as their laborers were not reporting for work due to the strict enforcement of quarantine guidelines.

Once milling is completed, about 512,000 bags of rice would be added to the buffer stock, he said.

He said they were waiting for 160,000 bags of rice from Central Luzon and Southern Tagalog regions to send to other areas.

LZB