CABARROGUIS, Quirino, April 17 (PIA) — An official of the National Food Authority here said that their warehouses are now full of palay products sold by farmers from all over the province.

NFA Assistant Provincial Manager Pat Avila said they noticed that more farmers now prefer to sell their palay products to the NFA because of the softer policy of procurement being implemented by the Agency.

“The higher buying price plus the relaxed procurement policy have motivated our farmers to sell their palay produce in our agency,” Avila said.

The NFA buys clean and dry palay at P17 per kilogram, with additional incentives such as graduated delivery fee up to a maximum P0.50/kg; drying incentive fee of P0.20/kg; and CDIF of P0.30/kg for cooperatives.

Avila also said through the simplified requirements for selling palay to the agency such as requiring certification from the municipal agriculture of agrarian reform office indicating the hectarage planted to palay and yield per hectare instead of a passbook, more farmers were able to sell palay produce to the agency.

“We are also conducting site procurement to ease the farmers from too much expenses in the delivery of their palay to the NFA warehouses,” added Avila.

Avila added that they are disbursing a total of P1.1 million daily for the procurement of the agency’s target of 1,471 bags of palay per day.

Aside from these, Avila said the grains agency also pays in cash to save the farmers from hours of waiting in banks for check encashment.