MikeLigalig.com

 KORONADAL CITY, Philippines - Rice prices in Central Mindanao are continuously rising in the last few weeks despite earlier assurances of stable supply of the commodity by the regional Department of Agriculture (DA).

Retailers in this city are now selling ordinary and fancy rice varieties from P35 to P38 per kilo, with some local media reports saying it's as high as P40 a kilo.

Last month, prices of rice in the area soared from at least P22 per kilo to P28 to P33, independent monitoring showed.

On Tuesday, Fr. Romeo Q. Catedral, Social Action Center (SAC) director of the Diocese of Marbel, expressed alarm at the continued increase in prices of rice in the area despite supposed enough palay stocks produced in the region.

"Prices of rice in our area are very prohibitive now, especially for the poor people. The situation is not getting any better," the priest lamented.

Abusama M. Alid, Agriculture department regional director, earlier assured stable rice supply in his jurisdiction covering the provinces of North and South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, and Sarangani and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Tacurong, Kidapawan, and Cotabato.

Alid said there is no reason for the public to panic because the household stock of rice is good enough for the region.

He attributed the increasing price of the commodity to the global shortage caused by climate change, declining farm production, growing food demands from big countries and increasing oil prices.

As of April 30, the region's total stock of rice is 202,091 metric tons and will last up to 175 days or 5.83 months, data provided by the regional agriculture office said.

"The regional daily consumption of Central Mindanao averaged 1,155.25 MT and with our buffer stock, it will last for more than five months," he said.

Owing to the continuing rise in prices of rice, Catedral said the SAC would now pursue the offer of the government to the religious sector to distribute cheap rice from the National Food Authority (NFA).

He vowed to write the Office of Religious Affairs (ORA), an agency under the Office of the President, to avail the grant it offers with regards to NFA rice.

Under the offer, the ORA will provide Catholic Church dioceses NFA rice worth P15,000 as a grant to give poor constituents opportunity to access cheap rice in a limited volume, Catedral said, hoping the allotment would be bigger so that more people can avail of them.

NFA rice is sold at P18.25 per kilo in accredited rice outlets nationwide.

– Sun.Star GenSan

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