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Middle and upper class Filipino families are consuming more National Food Authority (NFA) rice than the poor households, according to the National Statistics Office.

The NSO said there were 1.07 million Filipino households under the upper 70 percent of the Philippine population consumed NFA rice in 2006.

These middle and upper class Filipino families consumed an average of 273 kilogram (kg) per year.

The families under the ninth and 10th decile are consuming 254kg per year and 265 kg per year, respectively.

The NSO data was based on the 2006 Family Income and Expenditure Survey (FIES).

On the other hand, the average annual consumption of NFA rice for bottom 30 percent Filipino households was only 237 kg.

A total of 1.11 million Filipino households consumed NFA rice in 2006.

The consumption of NFA rice was noted to be higher among families in the third income decile at 285 kg a year on the average and fourth income decile, 297 kg a year on the average than among families belonging to other income groups.

The NSO, on the other hand, said the average consumption by about 2.2 million families for NFA rice was 255 kilogram (kg) per family per year or 4.9 kg a week.

Earlier, the National Food Authority had implemented a P2 price hike in NFA rice to P27 per kg from P25 kg.

The government move to increase the price of NFA rice is to ensure the viability of the NFA and continue its mandate of supporting farmers to produce enough for self-sufficiency.

The NSO added that ordinary rice was consumed by about 15 million families at an average of 463 kg per family per year or 8.9 kg a week.

Classified as ordinary rice are regular commercial varieties like C-4, Intan, Macan and IR-8.

For special rice, the average consumption by about 4.1 million families consuming it was 329 kg per family annually, or 6.3 kg a week.

Special rice includes well-milled commercial varieties of rice like Wag-wag (1st class), Milagrosa, Sinandomeng, Dinorado, 7Tonner and other fancy varieties.

Meanwhile, a family belonging to the bottom 30 percent income group consumed 390 kg of ordinary rice in a year or a 7.5 kg weekly, on the average.

This consumption is lower compared to the average consumption of a family in the upper 70 percent income group which was estimated at 494 kg a year or 9.5 kg a week.

The average annual consumption of special rice and NFA rice by families in the bottom 30 percent income group was almost the same (238 kg per family and 237 per family, respectively).

For families in the upper 70 percent income group, the annual average consumed was higher for special rice (343 kg per family) than NFA rice (273 kg per family).

For the rice consumption by income decile, the average consumption of ordinary rice ranged from 287 kg a year or 5.5 kg a week for the first income decile to 500 kg a year or 9.6 kg a week for the seventh income decile.

The consumption of ordinary rice by families in the eight to the 10th decile income groups was somewhat lower compared to families in seventh income decile, with an average annual consumption of 494 kg per family per year for the eighth income decile, 498 kg for the ninth income decile and 492 kg for the 10th income decile. - pna

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