The National Food Authority (NFA) is set to auction 750,000 sacks of rice that have been kept in its Valenzuela City warehouse for at least three months, as part of its effort to clear storage space ahead of the upcoming harvest season.
According to a “24 Oras” report aired Wednesday, the rice stocks will be offered at varying prices depending on their age and overall quality, with older stocks expected to have lower minimum bid prices.
The NFA said rice stocks aged three to six months will have a minimum bid price starting at P25.16 per kilo, while stocks that have been stored for 18 months will begin at P22.52 per kilo.
NFA Administrator Larry Lacson explained that rice quality may also depend on where it was produced, noting that certain regions have better varieties.
“Meron talagang pagkakaiba sa rice-producing regions na medyo maganda ang mga variety na tinatanim, gaya ng Region 3. Mas maganda ang kalidad ng bigas diyan,” Lacson said.
The auction of the NFA’s old rice stocks is scheduled to formally begin on Friday, February 20.
Despite the rice being stored for months, the NFA assured the public that the stocks remain safe for consumption.
The agency said clearing warehouse space is crucial as it prepares for the peak harvest season in March, when it expects to buy larger volumes of palay.
“Siyempre dahil gusto natin lumuwag ang bodega ng NFA at malapit na ang peak season ng harvest sa Marso, at makapag-generate ng revenue,” Lacson said.
Once the storage facilities are cleared, the NFA said it can purchase up to 1.5 million sacks of palay during the harvest season and expects the auction to generate more than P900 million in additional funds.
While only retailers, dealers, and wholesalers are allowed to join the bidding, the NFA said regular consumers could still benefit if traders sell the auctioned rice at cheaper prices.
At present, local well-milled rice is being sold for around P40 to P54 per kilo, with some retailers reporting supply concerns.
“Local rice, actually, medyo nagtaas tsaka mahirap kumuha ngayon. Ayun ang problema ngayon,” said JM, a rice retailer in Marikina City.
