(Eagle News) — Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol on Thursday assured the public there was enough rice supply in the country.
In a radio interview, Piñol said what the National Food Authority lacked was the rice that could be introduced into the market if prices rose.
“Yun po ang kulang sa kanila. But in as far as the rice supply is concerned, enough ang ating rice supply,” he said.
He also said President Rodrigo Duterte has warned unscrupulous individuals against hoarding rice, saying he had threatened to use “presidential powers” to “make sure that things will go back (to the way they were).”
Piñol said by presidential powers, Duterte meant he would order the NFA, the Bureau of Customs and “every agency of government to run after rice hoarders.”
“You have to understand that rice hoarding, if I’m not mistaken, is part of economic sabotage,” Piñol added.
He said he would meet with the President in China on Sunday.
On Wednesday, Duterte left for a series of visits in Asian countries, namely China, Cambodia and Hong Kong.
