TO ensure that Filipinos have access to affordable rice throughout the year, ACT-CIS Partylist Representative Erwin Tulfo called for the restoration of the National Food Authority’s (NFA) mandate to buy palay from local farmers and sell rice at lower prices in the market.
According to Rep. Tulfo, “Rice traders have no competition when buying palay from local farmers, so they can bargain for lower farm gate prices—leaving our farmers at a disadvantage.”
He added, “And since they control farm gate prices, they can also manipulate market prices by selling rice at skyrocketing amounts.”
“But with the NFA in place, there will always be an opportunity for consumers to buy affordable rice in the market,” said Tulfo.
“It is high time that Congress revisit and make the necessary amendments to the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL), as this law removed the NFA’s mandate to sell rice at lower prices,” added the lawmaker and senatorial aspirant.
If given the chance to win a Senate seat in the upcoming May elections, Tulfo vowed to prioritize amending the RTL to restore the NFA’s power to buy palay from local farmers and sell rice at more affordable prices.
Since the RTL was enacted in 2019, the NFA’s role has been limited to securing buffer stocks and releasing them only upon the declaration of a Food Security Emergency by the Department of Agriculture (DA).
However, despite the DA recently declaring such an emergency, only a few local government units purchased rice, leaving many supplies stored in NFA warehouses.
“A few years ago, every market had stalls selling NFA rice. Filipinos were able to choose more affordable options,” Tulfo emphasized.
“Currently, traders and retailers—the middlemen—dictate the price of rice. Without a competitor like the NFA, they can continuously raise market prices,” he added.
According to Tulfo, it is also essential to restore the approximately 15,000 accredited rice retailers nationwide, which would expand the reach of affordable NFA rice across the country.
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