Sufficient rice supply for Ilocos

By Freddie Lazaro

SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union – At least 2.5 million bags of imported rice have been delivered here from January to the first week of July to sustain the sufficient rice supply requirement of the residents in the Ilocos and Pangasinan provinces including Abra and Benguet during the lean months until the end of this year.

This, according to National Food Authority Director Amado De Guzman who said the imported rice came from Thailand, Vietnam and Pakistan.

He said the arrival of imported rice is very timely considering that the lean period is about to start. “With the arrival of the imported rice plus the locally-produced rice that are now stocked in the different NFA warehouses in Region 1 and, in Abra and Benguet provinces, our rice supply is very much sufficient even beyond 2010.”

From the 2.5 million bags of imported rice that arrived at Poro Point here, a total of 172,500 bags is allocated for Ilocos Sur; 84,000 bags for Ilocos Norte; 561,134 bags for La Union; 603,200 bags for Eastern Pangasinan; 695,400 bags for Western Pangasinan; 124,000 bags for Abra; and 288,444 bags for Benguet.

The bags of imported rice are already delivered and are now stocked at the NFA warehouses all over the region, and ready for distribution to all accredited NFA outlets.