Rice stocks enough in typhoon-hit Central Luzon, says DA

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO— Rice supplies in typhoon-ravaged Central Luzon will last until December, according to the Department of Agriculture.

Only 350,000 metric tons (MT) of mature palay were damaged as of Friday, said Andrew Villacorta, agriculture regional director, or about half of the 800,000 MT surplus that the region’s farmers produce annually.

The region produces 3 million MT of palay a year, bringing the rice sufficiency rate at 132 percent, he said.

Because of the high output, Villacorta said Central Luzon contributes 17 to 18 percent to the country’s food production. Typhoons “Pedring” and “Quiel” hit the region during harvest time.

Villacorta said damage reports by local governments, estimated at P4.1 billion on Saturday and with more than half of the losses coming from Nueva Ecija, would have to be validated.

“What we need are data on the number of hectares with palay at their reproductive stage and with flooded crops. [The damage] should not be quantified in terms of pesos at this time yet,” he said.

Crops that remained inundated have no chances of survival, he said.

In Manila, the DA said supplies of rice and other agriculture products were sufficient despite initial reports of massive damage to crops in the flood-stricken areas of northern and central Luzon.

“Our food requirements for this year are fully secure even with the typhoons and floods. We have an assurance from the NFA (National Food Authority) until the next (palay) harvest that we are fully secured,” Undersecretary Joel Rodinas said yesterday at the Kapihan sa Diamond Hotel.

He explained that “our (rice) stock right now in the NFA is 200,000 metric tons.” He also noted hold-over stocks from the last harvest season.

Rodinas pointed out that for the 90-day lean period from July 1 to September 30, the NFA amassed an 80-day buffer stock of rice, which is more than the usual 30-day buffer stock.

“We have a comfortable buffer… The withdrawals from the stock (during the lean months) was at a minimum because of the sufficient supply in the market and in the households,” he said.

The supply of vegetables, on the other hand, has not been affected by the typhoons with other sources from Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao delivering to the markets. Although some suppliers sold vegetables at slightly higher prices because of the delivery cost, the prices are anticipated to stabilize within the week. Reports from Tonette Orejas, Inquirer Central Luzon, and  Kristine L. Alave and Jeannette I. Andrade in Manila.