The National Food Authority will buy clean and dry palay at prices ranging from P23.00 to P30.00 per kilogram while fresh or wet palay will be bought at P17.00 to P23.00 per kilogram rates.

NFA Capiz Acting Branch Manager Cashmere Gemarino said that the new procuring price for dry and wet palay intends to enhance the procurement of palay stocks from individual farmers, farmer organizations, and associations to secure sufficient buffer stocks for emergency and calamity response.

“This new price is based on the newly implemented Price Range Scheme where there is flexibility in setting ex-farm buying price of palay at a competitive level to attain the palay procurement target of the government,” she noted.

The NFA will implement adjustments, on a weekly basis, on the palay buying price in all covered areas nationwide based on regular monitoring and surveys for assessment and recommendations for a competitive price.

“We appreciate the higher buying price of palay because this will add up to our income,” said 49-year-old Leonil Dondiego, a member of the Dapdapan Farmer’s Cooperative from Sapian town.

He emphasized that he only sells his palay harvest to the government’s grains authority.

Another farmer and elderly, Abelardo, thanked the NFA for the price range scheme as he also suggested a palay buying station every market day of the municipalities.

Farmers who wish to deliver their harvested palay in any NFA warehouses only need to secure their certification from the Department of Agriculture – Municipal Agriculture Office of farm area registered on DA’s Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) list indicating their hectarage for palay to have an individual passbook.

Further, cooperatives or associations with no master’s passbook only need to submit certificates from either the Cooperative Development Authority, Securities and Exchange Commission, and/or any registration certificate from concerned government agencies.

NFA Capiz Branch has four warehouses located at Brgy. Bolo in Roxas City, Brgy. Santa Cruz in Dumalag town, Brgy. Mangoso in Sigma town and the Aklan Grains Center in Brgy. Linabuan Sur in the municipality of Banga in Aklan province for the farmers to deliver and sell their palay. AGP/AAL/PIA Capiz