NFA: Enough Rice Supply for Zamboanga; Crisis Over

The National Food Authority (NFA)-9 affirmed there is no more rice supply crisis here following the arrival of 180 thousand bags of rice on Saturday, August 25.

“No more need to be apprehensive of our rice situation. There are now lots of commercial rice displayed in the market, lots of commercial rice storage that we have seen in the outlets,” assured NFA-9 Assistant Regional Director Ruben Manatad.

He said of the 180,000 bags of rice that arrived Aug. 25, some 80,000 bags were allocated for Zamboanga City.

“Plus we have an inventory of 15,000 bags that would be a total to 95,000 bags of rice. So, definitely we have enough supply of rice,” Manatad said.

According to him, the supply would last about a month’s time based on their present distribution pattern.

NFA is conducting daily monitoring on the prices of rice, its supply movement and trend in the city.

Manatad said prices of commercial rice has now gone back to P50.00 per kilogram as compared to P69.00 per kilogram two weeks ago when the city was hit by rice shortage that led to the declaration of a state of calamity.

“From that high of P69.00 per kilogram, we now have a low of P50, meaning the people can have a different choice. What is important is that we have a lower price for them to choose from. Aside from that, we have government rice at P32.00 per kilogram in the city and P27.00 per kilogram in our barangay Tagpuan activities,” he said. (EDT/JPA-PIA9)