C. Visayas rice stocks, prices remain stable

Despite the lean harvest, rice stocks in Central Visayas are good for at least two months, say agriculture officials.
CDN File Photo

Prices of rice remain stable at Cebu’s public markets and there is no shortage of rice stocks at the government’s National Food Authority (NFA), the regional office of the Department of Agriculture (DFA-7) said yesterday.

Gerry Avila, DA-7’s chief of agribusiness and marketing division, said prices of regular milled or ordinary rice ranged between P45 to P46 per kilo while special or well-milled rice is sold between P50 to P52 per kilo.

He said they conduct daily monitoring in the public markets of Carbon and Pasil in Cebu City, the Mandaue City public market and Talisay City’s Tabunok public market between 3 to 8 a.m.

Regional NFA Director Procopio Trabajo said NFA rice is sold at P32 per kilo for 15 percent broken long-grain white rice and P27 per kilo for 25 percent broken long-grain white rice.

The public is bracing for a significant hike in rice prices due to the increase in the prices of petroleum products.

PTT Philippines said they will implement a price hike today of 50 centavos for every liter of gasoline and 35 centavos for every liter of diesel.

“So far, we have not noticed any increase yet. Hopefully, increases in gas prices won’t affect the prices of rice that much,” Avila said.

DA-7 Regional Technical Director Joel Ilumba also said there is sufficient supply of rice in Central Visayas despite the damage wrought by typhoons such as Vinta last year.

The NFA regional office refuted statements by Sen. Nancy Binay that they are experiencing a shortage of rice stocks.

Trabajo admitted that while they have a dwindling rice inventory due to this year’s lean harvest, there is no shortage.

Trabajo said there are 2.6 million of bags of rice as of January 1, 2018 with NFA, commercial and household inventories that will last for 79 days or 2.5 months.

Cebu province secured a buffer stock of 108,761 bags of rice stored in eight different warehouses.

This inventory prioritizes the needs of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD-7), NDRRMC (National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council) and affected local governments during emergencies.

Firmo Diputado, chief statistical specialist of the Philippine Statistics Authority in Central Visayas (PSA-7), said they continue to monitor the impact of the fuel price hike on rice prices.