DA eyes independent lab to test NFA rice quality

AFTER SEN. TULFO’S EXPOSÈ

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is looking at the possibility of recommending an independent laboratory to test the quality of rice from the National Food Authority (NFA).

This was after Senator Raffy Tulfo, in a privilege speech on Monday, alleged that an NFA quality officer had passed off good rice as bad to allow its sale to certain traders.

“There could be ways, for example, an independent laboratory to do the analysis at hindi na NFA para maging mas independent [so that it will be independent from the NFA],” said DA spokesperson Arnel de Mesa.

“But that will be part of future recommendations later,” he added.

Reviewing existing policies of the NFA is also being considered, De Mesa said. 

“Ang talagang policy governing body ng NFA [ay] ang NFA Council, so guided ng mga resolutions ang mga action. So ‘yun din isang tinitignan, kung talaga bang nasunod mga patakaran na in-issue ng council noong 2019 hanggang current,” he added.

(The NFA’s policy governing body is the NFA Council, so all their actions are guided by resolutions. So we’re looking if the guidelines issued by the Council from 2019 to today were followed.)

One recommendation being considered, the DA official said, is making sure that the needs of disaster response agencies are being met.

In his privilege speech, Tulfo said under the alleged scheme, the NFA will buy unmilled rice or palay for P24 a kilo. A P2-per-kilo subsidy from the Palay Marketing Assistance Program for Legislators and Local Government Units (PALLGU) is then added to the NFA’s buying price.

Tulfo said the NFA Office of the Administrator would then look for stocks they can sell. He said the sales officers were told to identify the stocks and instruct the quality assurance officer to issue a laboratory analysis report to declare satisfactory stocks as no longer in good condition.

He said ranking NFA officials will then ask the NFA sales officers to negotiate the sale of rice to private millers.  —KBK, GMA Integrated News