Negros Occidental has enough supply of rice for 81 days with 1.9 million bags, Cynthia Luz Chua, senior grains operation office of NFA, said yesterday.

Chua said based on their latest rice inventory and survey with the commercial market, households, and, with the buffer stocks of NFA, the province has stable supply.

In 2011, the NFA had not received imported rice, so the inflow of rice supply came from the local farmers in Negros and Panay Island, she also said.

NFA also has distributed 314,603 bags of rice last year, which is 68.34 percent lower in 2010 with 994,614 bags. From the total rice distribution, 256,449 were imported rice and 58,154 local, Chua said.

In the procurement of clean and dry palay, NFA has procured 14,492 bags last year, which is 46.44 percent lower in 2010 with 27,055 bags.

Chua said the decrease in rice distribution and palay procurement does not imply a negative effect on supply, but it showed that prices in the commercial market as well as the supply were stable.

Meanwhile, the NFA still has P8.6 million for palay procurement. Chua also said NFA is a ready market where local farmers and cooperatives can sell their palay when growers and retailers are buying at a very low price.

Retailers of NFA rice are also reminded of the re-accreditation of their licenses. They are asked to apply for re-accreditation until Jan.31 only, she added.*LTG

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