
MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / June 22, 2014) – The Aquino government assured the public on Sunday that there is enough supply of rice until the next harvest season.
A government spokesman Herminio Coloma said the National Food Authority has some 2.4 million tons of rice in supply. “Ito ay sapat para sa susunod na 72 araw o hanggang sa unang linggo ng Setyembre na kung kailan inaasahan ang resulta ng unang pag-ani o harvest season,” Coloma said.
He said there should be no reason for the prices of NFA rice, whether well-milled or regular milled, to rise and anyone found manipulating its value will be dealt with severely. The price of the regular milled rice is P27 per kilo while the well-milled rice is at P32 per kilo.
“Ayon sa NFA, we are advising the public that they will implement the full force of the law on those who divert, hoard, and overprice government or NFA rice,” he said.
Coloma said some 193,000 tons if rice are also expected to arrive this month on top of additional 274,250 tons in August.