The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) on Thursday said it will launch the nationwide sale of its “Bagong Bayaning Magsasaka (BBM)” rice in partnership with local government units (LGUs) in August.
“By August, ilo-launch natin iyong (we will launch the) BBM rice in partnership with the LGUs. Nationwide agad. Isa per province (it will be immediately nationwide. One per province nationwide),” NIA Administrator Eduardo Guillen told the Philippine News Agency in a phone interview.
On May 27, the NIA and the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) entered into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) for food security in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directives.
In a separate interview with the PTV’s Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon, Guillen said LGUs will help in marketing the program for cheaper rice to be available in public markets.
The NIA’s BBM rice, worth PHP29 per kilogram, will come from the local harvest of farmer cooperatives under contract farming.
“Walang nawawalang pera sa gobyerno, nabibili mo lang mahal iyong palay [unhusked rice], nakakabili ka ng murang bigas (There’s no losses on the government’s end. You can buy palay at a high price while buying rice at a lower price),” Guillen said.
Under contract farming, 80 percent of the dry palay harvest of farmer cooperatives is milled and sold for commercial market sale at PHP45/kg.
About 20 percent, meanwhile, is allocated for the NIA’s BBM rice sale, which is bought from local farmers at PHP25 per kg.
To date, Guillen said the NIA and LGUs were able to establish over 200 farmer cooperatives benefiting from contract farming. (PNA)