SEVEN thousand metric tons or 140,000 bags of imported rice are expected to arrive in Cebu by June 20, said an official of the National Food Authority (NFA-7) on Monday.
NFA Information Officer Olma Marie Bayno said that the first batch of imported rice is only about 28 percent of the total amount of imported rice allocated for Central Visayas.
Bayno said that of the 250,000 metric tons of rice approved by the NFA council to be imported from Vietnam and Thailand, 25,000 was allocated for Central Visayas.
Bayno said that if the weather will be fine when the shipment arrives on June 20, next Wednesday, they will immediately proceed to unload the bags of rice for storage in their warehouses.
This means that supplies of NFA rice will be available in the markets by the start of July.
However, Bayno clarified that retailing is their last priority in allocating the supplies of rice.
“Our first priority for the supply of rice are the DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development) and NDRRMO (National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office) which are primarily tasked in the relief operations during calamities,” said Bayno said.
Bayno added that Local Government Units (LGUs) that will purchase rice for their programs will also be given high priority in the allocation of the rice.
“Last priority ang retailing because we really want to make sure that our supplies will benefit those who are really the less fortunate people,” said Bayno.
Since February, NFA rice had been out of stock in public markets, forcing its patronizers to avail of the more expensive commercial rice.
NFA rice sold in accredited stores in public markets are sold at P32 per kilo and only at a maximum of five kilos per purchase.
Bayno added that they are expecting at least three more shipments of imported rice to arrive in Cebu to complete the volume allocated for Central Visayas.