THE NATIONAL Food Authority (NFA) on Monday denied the accusations of some solons that the agency colluded with a rice cartel, causing a shortage in NFA’s buffer stock.

NFA Administrator Jason Laureano Y. Aquino said in a statement that they are open to any audit or inquiry to clear NFA of any allegations.

Earlier this month, Senators Mary Grace Natividad S. Poe-Llamanzares and Cynthia A. Villar in separate occasions called for a probe on alleged rice cartels manipulating the price and supply of rice in the market.

“It is highly lamentable that some individuals or groups would rather find fault elsewhere, rather than help in finding solutions to the problem of low government food security stocks so we could immediately bring back to the markets affordable NFA rice for the masses,” Mr. Aquino said.

“The depletion of NFA stocks was not sudden, hence I find it rather malicious and irresponsible to accuse or insinuate any collusion between NFA personnel and private traders to manipulate the rice market and make a killing from the resulting increase in commercial rice prices.”

The NFA head said they had already requested to import rice as early as October last year to replenish their buffer stock.

Earlier this month, Mr. Aquino in a press conference said they had asked the NFA council to allow them to import last November.

While the council had approved the importation of 250,000 metric tons (MT) of rice last week, the shipment would not arrive until June or July, which would mean that the price of NFA rice is set to increase for a few months.

“If negotiations were done between November and December 2017, the agency would have saved a lot since the average world market price for rice at the time was only $368 per metric ton while in February the average price was already $420 per metric ton,” Mr. Aquino said.

“We would not have withdrawn the low-priced NFA rice from the markets as there would be an assurance of replenishment in due time.” — Anna Gabriela A. Mogato

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