AN OFFICIAL of the National Food Authority (NFA) allayed fears on the possible presence of fake rice in Negros Occidental.
Marianito Bejemino, provincial manager of NFA-Negros Occidental, said on Tuesday, June 20, that their monitoring team, together with investigators, has been conducting regular monitoring on the price, supply, and quality of rice in the market.
Bejemino said that based on their weekly monitoring, they have not sighted any presence of fake rice among local markets unlike those reported earlier in other provinces.
“Current rice supply in the province is still sufficient thus, there is no basis for retailers and traders to formulate any kind of artificial or fake rice,” he added.
NFA-Negros Occidental records showed the province’s current rice inventory from all sectors is 1.7 million bags, on top of about 180,000 bags being delivered from Panay Island.
Given the province’s daily consumption requirement of 21,800 bags, the total stocks can last for the next 81 days.
In terms of prices, the NFA has not yet monitored any upward movement amid the start of lean period this month.
Price of NFA rice remains at P27 per kilo while the regular and well-milled commercial rice ranges from P35 to P44 per kilo, and P45 and above for premium rice.
Although there is no fake rice in the province, Bejemino said he instructed members of the monitoring team to intensify their operations.
He also warned retailers and traders on possible sanctions and penalties if they are found conducting violations such as hoarding, diversion, and adulteration of the commodity.
Adulteration is the practice of mixing NFA rice with commercial rice and selling it as the latter while diversion is selling the former as wholesale instead of bringing it to retail outlets.
The NFA may revoke the license and permit of erring retailers, Bejemino said, adding that the government may also stop the operations of violating commercial traders.
