The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Friday underscored the importance of refurbished National Food Authority (NFA) warehouses in helping local farmers and increasing the volume of local palay (unhusked rice) procurement in the country.

At least seven NFA warehouses in Northern Luzon have been rehabilitated in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directives to intensify support for local farmers and help reduce the country’s post-harvest losses through agri-infrastructure and modernization.

“I’m very happy na nakakita ako ng bagong refurbished na warehouse ng NFA. Kung nakita niyo ho yung panahon na before refurbishment, talagang napabayaan po ng panahon (I’m very happy that I saw newly-refurbished NFA warehouse. If you have seen it before the refurbishment, it has been neglected through time),” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. told journalists at the sidelines of the inspection of an NFA warehouse in Roxas, Isabela.

The refurbished warehouses include those in Burgos, Roxas, and Tumauini, all in the province of Isabela. These warehouses can store up to 148,000 50-kilogram bags of rice in total.

Other refurbished warehouses include those in Bagabag and Bayombong in Nueva Vizcaya, which has a capacity of 160,620 50-kg bags; and in Alfonso Lista and Lagawe in Ifugao, with 28,880 50-kg bags capacity.

The warehouses’ upgraded features include new roofs, improved ventilation systems and pest control systems, reinforced walls, and strengthened flooring.

The agriculture chief said opening of more rehabilitated NFA warehouses around the country will follow to help protect farmers from unscrupulous traders who take advantage of them by buying rice at low prices.

“I’m very happy na nag-open tayo nito. There are 134 na bubuksan na kaya’t makikinabang dito iyong farmers. At makakabili tayo ng mas maraming palay sa kanila ngayon (I’m very happy that we have opened these refurbished warehouses. There are 134 more that will be opened and farmers will benefit from it. And we can buy more palay from them),” he said.

In a separate statement, the DA disclosed that farmgate price of palay fell to as low as PHP10 per kilogram in some areas in the country, lower than the estimated production cost of PHP12-PHP14 per kilo.

The NFA’s average buying price, however, is set at PHP18/kg of fresh and wet palay, and PHP24/kg for clean and dry palay.

NFA Administrator Larry Lacson also said opening of rehabilitated NFA warehouses will allow them to “accommodate more palay from farmers who have waited in line for NFA to buy their harvest.” (PNA)