
The Department of Agriculture (DA) continues to call on legislators to restore the regulatory functions of the National Food Authority (NFA) to help lower rice prices in local markets.
Currently, NFA’s role is limited to managing buffer rice stock. The other mandates of the agency — selling and importing rice — were stripped off when the Rice Tariffication law (RTL) was passed in 2019.
In a news forum on Saturday, DA Assistant Secretary Arnel De Mesa said once the previous regulatory mandates are reinstated, declaring a food security emergency is no longer necessary.
“Si Secretary Kiko, is also asking ang ating kongreso na ibalik iyong mandato ng National Food Authority, especially on two things. Una, doon sa regulasyon. Pangalawa, doon sa market intervention ” he said.
“Hindi na si secretary humihingi ng permiso sa kongreso, in relation doon sa importation capacity ng NFA, but rather on these two aspects. Magkaroon ng regulasyon sa merkado sa pamilihan at pangalawa, maka-intervene sa market without declaring an emergency,” he added.
In December last year, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. approved into law the amendment of the Rice Tariffication Law that gives the DA the authority to declare a food security emergency on rice due to supply shortage or extraordinary increase in prices, upon the recommendation of the National Price Coordinating Council (NPCC). |PND