TUGUEGRAO CITY, Jan. 19 (PIA) — The National Food Authority (NFA) Cagayan has encouraged rice farmers to sell their produce to NFA as they have set a higher buying price than private traders.

Natividad Arugay, assistant provincial manager, said NFA is now buying dry and clean ‘Palay’ at P17.70 a kilo which is higher than the P16.20 buying price of traders.
She emphasized that the set buying price is part of the government’s desire to help farmers earn more income and return of investment from their farm produce.

“Aside from it, this is also part of the government’s massive procurement program to augment to the thrust of attaining rice self-sufficiency program this year,” Arugay added.

Last year, Arugay also reported that they were able to buy palay from 1, 209 individual farmers and 18 cooperatives with 2,000 members, with a total of 3, 209 rice farmers served.

She also ensured enough stock of palay in Cagayan province with 73, 000 sacks that are stored at their warehouses.

In the months of January and February, NFA Cagayan has targeted about 20,000 sacks of palay to be procured from the farmers and expectedly, in the months of March and April- the harvest season, hundred bags of palay will be purchased from the local farmers.

They further targeted 242,000 bags of procurement for the whole year but they are also optimistic for a higher number if farmers will choose to sell their produce to NFA and if there will be no severe weather disturbances that may cause damage to the rice production in the province.