The National Food Authority in Bicol (NFA-5) has affirmed its commitment to ensuring a plentiful rice supply to sustain the P20 per kilogram (kg) rice program as part of the Benteng Bigas Meron Na! (BBM Na!) initiative by the Department of Agriculture (DA).

Assistant regional manager Julie Llenaresas stated in an interview that there are currently over 800,000 sacks of palay (unmilled rice) stored in warehouses across the region. She emphasized that this ample buffer stock is a result of purchasing enough palay from local farmers.

Sufficient Stock

NFA personnel in Albay have conducted a physical inventory of rice stocks in warehouses, ensuring that there is enough buffer stock to support the Benteng Bigas Meron Na! rice program. Llenaresas reassured the public that there are adequate supplies for the P20/kg rice program, and the agency fully backs this initiative.

Llenaresas also mentioned that rice supply is anticipated to increase as farmers continue to sell their harvest to the agency. The current 829,482 sacks of palay are projected to last for a year, with additional supplies available in case of calamities. The agency is still actively purchasing palay from local farmers, with many farmers already selling their products to NFA.

Aside from the palay inventory, NFA Bicol also has a local rice inventory of 65,304 sacks. The buying price for dry palay is P24/kg, while wet palay is priced at P18/kg. Llenaresas expressed satisfaction that most farmers are now selling their harvest to support the BBM rice program locally.

She highlighted that the BBM Na! rice program not only benefits consumers and vulnerable sectors but also the farmers themselves. The government's goal is to assist farmers in increasing their income while making affordable, accessible, and freshly harvested agricultural products available to the public.

DA-Bicol regional executive director Rodel Tornilla affirmed that they are continuously providing agricultural inputs to ensure farmers achieve better, high-quality harvests. Farmers receive high-quality seeds and fertilizer subsidies to guarantee a good harvest and a steady supply of Benteng Bigas from NFA. Tornilla also assured that there is enough rice supply in case of disasters or calamities, emphasizing the sustainability of the BBM rice program that benefits vulnerable sectors and farmers with direct buyers for their produce.