NFA warns Kalinga rice outlets on overpricing

By Larry Lopez  

TABUK CITY, Kalinga -- The National Food Authority provincial office has assured the public of sufficient supply of cheap and quality rice eve as it warned its outlets of overpricing.

NFA-Kalinga assistant provincial manager Ric Baliang bared these amid report of increasing demand for NFA rice with the onset of the lean months from April-May.

Compared to commercial rice that sells at P38-44 per kilo, NFA rice sells at P27-32 kg at its accredited outlets in the city.

Baliang said the NFA allows reasonable add-on price to defray transportation cost of outlets in remote barangays.

The province has received 20,000 bags of imported rice from Vietnam early this year to assure enough supply of the buffer following the agency’s palay procurement default due to favorable buying price by private traders in the province.

Baliang said the agency made the request for rice augmentation from NFA central office in line with its mandate to provide cheap and accessible rice to consumers, here.

NFA-Kalinga warned its accredited rice outlets of overpricing and informed that teams from the agency are monitoring price rates of the commodity.

Any registered retailer caught selling overpriced NFA rice losses his license and may face other possible charges, Baliang said.