Ifugao grains dealers hunted

BY GINA SHIRLEY G. DACMAY

LAGAWE, Ifugao – The National Food Authority here is now going after unscrupulous grains businessmen under the Tindahan Natin and the Bigasan ng Bayan for not complying with fair marketing systems as stipulated in the Philippine Grains Standardization Program.

The PGSP is a multi-sectoral effort spearheaded by the NFA to institutionalize grains standard through advocacy, enforcement and monitoring activities among grain farmers, millers, traders or retailers and the public.

NFA provincial manager Emmanuel Villanueva said in their monitoring in the municipalities of Lamut and Alfonso Lista, two NFA grains retailers were found to have violated specific rules prescribing standard specifications particularly non-display of signboards, NFA licenses, and price tags.

“In view of this findings,” he said, “rice allocation for grains retailers and distributors have been suspended for two weeks. "This is to show them that we are also serious with our work." Villanueva said unscrupulous retailers took advantage of the cheap NFA rice but sold it at a higher price by preparing their price tags with back to back price list of different amounts which he said was used to fool buyers when monitoring team members were not around.

Other retailers who buy rice from NFA authorized dealers and distributors and who transport it to their places were also found selling it with increased price and justifying it with transport expenses.
Villanueva said selling NFA rice more than its P18 per kilo mark up is not tolerated by the agency as it is against the program specifications. "That is against the objective of providing affordable rice to the public," he said. Rice allocations to apprehended retailers will resume after enforcement and compliance to the PGSP guidelines is achieved, he added.