The Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food Inc. (PCAFI) expressed worry on Thursday over the government’s capacity to buy rice stocks from farmers following the suspension of over 100 National Food Authority (NFA) officials and employees. In Bernadette Reyes’ “24 Oras” report, PCAFI said several NFA warehouses are currently closed. “Ang worry namin, talagang pag binarat kasi talagang bababa ng below P20 'yan, no? Walang tatakbuhan ang farmers.
Kapag kasi may NFA di makaporma 'yung trader, may pupuntahan eh. May pupuntahang iba, 'yung gobyerno. Mamimili siya eh. Kahit na konti lang ang kaya niyang bilhin, at least namimili pa rin siya,” PCAFI president Danilo Fausto said. (We worry because traders can push for a P20 sale of the rice stocks. But if the NFA will buy the stocks, the traders cannot do that.) “Ang traders nag-aano sila na huwag masyadong ibaba,” Faustino added. (Traders will not push for that if the government buys the stocks