Atin Ito First Filipino Community Newspaper in Ontario
The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) stated that it will seek an increase in the National Food Authority’s (NFA) palay procurement fund for 2024 as the approval of the proposed national budget for 2024 is drawing near.
In a statement dated Sept. 24, KMP announced that it would appeal to Congress to allow the NFA to acquire a significantly larger volume of palay from local farmers.
“The NFA needs an additional budget not only for buffer stocking during calamities and emergencies but also to purchase a substantial amount of palay from our farmers,” said KMP.
“The NFA must procure at least 20 percent of the total local palay production and bring back the cheaper NFA rice to the markets,” it added.
KMP noted that a budget of at least P90 billion should be allocated to the NFA to purchase more than 20 percent of the total local rice production.
The group also emphasized that the buying price of NFA rice should be more competitive than that offered by private traders.
“While the NFA has increased the palay buying price to P23 per kilo, there should be more NFA-operated buying centers, additional dryers, and milling facilities,” KMP Chairman Emeritus and former Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary Rafael Mariano said. — Lizst Torres Abello
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Credit belongs to: www.mb.com.ph
