DA says it has enough rice buffer stock for El Niño

The Department of Agriculture (DA) said Thursday that the buffer stock of rice for the country is enough amid the ongoing El Niño phenomenon. 

“Okay naman ang ating buffer stock at sa ngayon nga ay nag-start ang harvest season nitong March, April hanggang sa Mayo. Patuloy din ang pamimili ng NFA,” said DA spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa in an interview on Unang Balita.

(Our buffer stock is okay and right now, the harvest season has started this March, April, until May. NFA also continues to buy rice.) 

De Mesa made the assurance despite the alleged irregularities in the sale of the National Food Authority’s (NFA) buffer stocks to private traders which resulted in the suspension of more than a hundred NFA officials and employees.

“Kahit ‘yung ating mga 97 na bodegero or warehouse supervisors ay napalitan na sila para masigurado ng NFA at ng Department of Agriculture na tuloy-tuloy ang operasyon ng pamimili kahit 141 ang nasusupende na opisyal at empleyado ng NFA,” he added. 

(We have replaced 97 warehouse supervisors so that the NFA and the DA can ensure that the buying operation continues even though 141 NFA officials and employees have been suspended.) 

De Mesa said the three separate investigations regarding the NFA controversy are ongoing, with the DA expecting the results to be out as soon as possible. 

“Walang binigay na specific timetable ang ating kalihim, bagamat alam nila ang importance o kahalagahan nitong pagsisiyasat na ito. So inaasahan namin, kagaya sa Ombudsman, na sa loob ng madaling panahon ay magkakaron ng resulta ang kanilang ginagawang pagsisiyasat,” he said. 

(Our secretary did not give a specific timetable, but they know the importance of this investigation. So we expect, like the Ombudsman, that the results of the investigation will be out soon.) 

Among the NFA officials and employees which the Ombudsman ordered to be under preventive suspension were administrator Roderico Bioco and assistant administrator for operations John Robert Hermano. 

The anti-graft body is probing allegations of corruption in the alleged disadvantageous sale to private traders of around 75,000 bags of rice carrying 50 kilos each. —Giselle Ombay/ VAL, GMA Integrated News