Group urges NFA to check supply information of rice millers

A framers' group has asked the National Food Authority (NFA) to check the supply information submitted by rice millers so the country can avoid excessive imports of the staple. A network of farmers and civil society groups made this suggestion on Friday after Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala asked rice traders “to share data... to get accurate figures [about] the current rice inventory." While Alcala’s call to millers is a “welcome development," the Rice Watch and Action Network (R1) said the government — particularly the NFA — should also “conduct random checks of millers’ inventories." “The government shouldn’t just take rice millers’ submissions at face value," Jessica Reyes-Cantos, R1 convener, told GMANews.TV. Moreover, she said “The NFA should also conduct random spot checks because some millers and traders use their stocks to speculate," adding that random checks is one way of detecting rice smuggling. Alcala made the call for data sharing at a meeting with dozens of rice millers last August 4, at the Department of Agriculture (DA)’s Bureau of Soils and Water Management auditorium in Quezon City. NFA Administrator Angelito Banayo was present in the meeting. “Bear in mind that if you would report less, we would be forced to import, and such would adversely affect your [industry]," the DA's Alcala added. Besides commending Alcala’s initiative, rice millers also raised concerns on the availability of credit for farmers during the same meeting. By making loans more affordable, farmers’ yields will increase, they said. During the dialogue, Alcala also reiterated the agency’s major thrust to attain rice self-sufficiency by 2013 by expanding areas for high-yielding varieties of rice. “We have already crafted a plan to achieve rice self-sufficiency by 2013. Part of it involves gradually expanding rice farms planted to certified seeds. From the current 20 percent of total rice areas, we aim to push it to 45 percent by 2011, and further to 65 percent by 2012," Alcala said. — Robert JA Basilio Jr./LBG, GMANews.TV