SP urges NFA to allocate more palay procurement funds to SouthCot farmers

Sangguniang Panlalawigan of South Cotabato urges the National Food Authority to allocate more funds for the procurement of palay in the province so that South Cotabato farmers can avail of the incentives following the decrease in the buying price of palay in the province creating more losses for the farmers.
In an interview, NFA Regional Manager Dianne Silva disclosed their agency has allocated an initial Php50 million for the procurement of rice for the farmers of Socksargen.
She added the agency has requested more funds from the central office for the said purpose.
Said amount will help subsidize the procurement of palay which has gone down up to Php14/kilo.
South Cotabato farmers clamor for the said price which can cause more losses if they will sell their produce to traders.
During its regular session early this week, the SP conducted a Question Hour regarding the problem attended by the NFA and the Department of Agriculture 12.
NFA Provincial Manager Jasmin C. Lintag and DA-12’s OIC-Regional Technical Director for Operations Zaldy Boloron attended said forum to answer queries from the August Body.
The NFA offers a Php3.70/kilo incentive to farmers. This is atop their buying price of Php17/kilo.
The 3.70/kilo incentives will include the following 20 centavos/kilo as drying incentive; 20 centavos/kilo for the delivery fee; Php3.00/kilo for buffer stocking; and 30 centavos/ kilo as Cooperative Development Incentive Fee (CDIF) for members.
For the members of cooperatives and farmer organizations, farmers will get Php20.70/kilo price while for non-members, they will receive Php20.40/kilo.
Aside from these incentives, the agency will also provide hauling trucks when needed so that farmers will no longer have a hard time to transport their goods.
However, the NFA clarifies that the 20 centavos/kilo incentives will no longer be given to them.
The NFA has at least Seven (7) hauling trucks presently available as per request by the farmers after the Department of Agriculture 12 turned-over said equipment for use of farmers.