Duterte also asked traders to bring down price of rice sold in market, source says
(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the abolition of the National Food Authority Council.
Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol said in a radio interview on Friday that the President gave the order in a meeting with rice traders on Thursday.
According to Piñol, the NFA and other agencies that have to do with agriculture will be transferred to the Department of Agriculture.
The NFA is different from the NFA council, which is composed of representatives from finance, trade departments, among others, who decide on rice importation.
During the meeting, the President also asked rice traders to bring down the price of rice for sale to consumers, at least until the NFA rice arrived.
The NFA has said that there was a shortage in rice buffer stocks, but the Jun Evasco, NFA Council chair, said the NFA management was only creating “artificial shortage” by making statements “that muddle the issue and create panic.”
In a separate radio interview, Ernie Escalante, president of the Intercity Rice Millers Owners and Traders Association who attended the meeting, said it was decided the lowest price they could sell their rice to the market was P39/kilogram.
“Mahigit dito ang nagiging puhunan namin pero ganun ang panawagan ng Pangulo kaya kami tumugon sa kanyang kahilingan,” he said.