NFA Aklan steps up drive vs illegal rice trading practices

BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

National Food Authority (NFA) in Aklan has intensified its monitoring to curb possible illegal practices of rice retailers in the province. 

NFA provincial manager Martina Lodero said monitoring teams are dispatched to check the supply and prices in the markets and to make sure the licensed grains retailers and wholesalers are complying the NFA rules and regulations.

Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) personnel also tightened their watch in monitoring and surveillance of public markets and warehouses in Aklan. 

“May monitoring teams ang NFA na lumalabas araw araw pati na ang CIDG agents. Kapag nagbibisita tayo sa mga retailers tinitingnan natin ang mga stocks nila pati ang mga white painted boxes. Patuloy ang monitoring natin sa mga traders pagkatapos na makakuha sila ng stocks sa bodega ng NFA,” she said.

The food agency is also encouraging the public to report any illegal rice-trading activities of unscrupulous rice retailers. 

Illegal practices such as NFA rice mixed with commercial rice and sold at a higher price or the NFA rice overpriced and sold as commercial rice are closely monitored by NFA and CIDG, she said.

“Kung sa palagay ninyo ay hindi commercial rice at NFA rice ito, pakidala ito sa atin para sa laboratory analysis. Kapag nahalo ang NFA rice sa commercial rice, mapagkamalan mong commercial rice ito dahil pareho lang sila in terms of quality,” Lodero stressed. 

Accredited rice outlets are selling NFA well-milled rice at P32.00 per kilo and regular milled-rice at P27.00 per kilo. These are available in six bigasan outlets in Kalibo public market and other bigasan sa barangay outlets province-wide.

Lodero said the food authority has coordinated with parish churches in Kalibo and Banga for ‘Bigasan sa Parokya’ outlets targeting urban poor families. 

She also reminded the accredited retailers to use price tags indicating the grade, price per kilogram, classification and variety and to display the prescribed NFA signboards bearing the business name and NFA license number.

Meanwhile, the food agency assured it has sufficient inventory of rice in the province of Aklan.