La Union Has Enough Rice Supply – NFA

"There is no rice shortage in La Union", said National Food Authority (NFA) officials here.

La Union has a stock of 196,070 rice bags in the NFA warehouse as of April 9, enough supply for 40 days according to NFA La Union Provincial Manager Renato Y. Sanedrin.

Another 280,000 rice bags imported from Vietnam arrived last Monday at the San Fernando City Port, and that would be good for another two months, he added.

Meanwhile, NFA-La Union has increased the rice allocation of the City of San Fernando and the 19 municipalities to ensure that enough cheap government rice is available and properly distributed. It is also currently maintaining 124 Tindahan Natin outlets provincewide and is rehabilitating inactive ones.

To prevent rice diversion, over-pricing and profiteering, the food agency has intensified its market monitoring activities through its created four Palengke Watch Teams.

Each team is assigned in five municipalities to monitor daily the selling activities of NFA rice outlets including the Tindahan Natin outlets.

To protect consumers from unscrupulous rice traders, President Arroyo herself is leading the charge to crack down on any form of corruption by public or private officials who would divert supplies or pervert the price of this essential commodity in anyway.

President Arroyo launched recently a three-phased government Food Plan to ensure the steady supply of affordable rice in the country amid a tightening inventory of the cereal worldwide.