00:00Because of the extraordinary increase in the price of rice,
00:04and not because of the lack of supply,
00:06that's why the Food Security Emergency declared on rice.
00:09That's what the Department of Agriculture clarified this morning,
00:12following the declaration yesterday of the Food Security Emergency.
00:16Under the Visa of the Department Circular No. 3, Series of 2025,
00:20the DA is ordering the National Food Authority
00:24to release its buffer stock of rice.
00:26It will be sold to local governments and government agencies.
00:30150,000 metric tons of rice has been released by the NFA
00:35within 6 months, but it is still possible to change
00:39depending on the duration of the implementation of the Food Security Emergency.
00:44At the press conference of the DA earlier,
00:46it was said that the NFA's buffer stock will be sold to LGUs
00:50for P33 per kilo,
00:53which is expected to be sold to the public for P35 per kilo.
00:57The NFA is still waiting for the answer of LGUs who want to buy rice.
01:02It still depends on how much will be the monthly allocation in each place.
01:10Let's take a look at the update regarding the declaration
01:12by the Department of Agriculture of the Food Security Emergency for rice.
01:16That's in detail on the spot by Bernadette Reyes.
01:19Bernadette?
01:24Connie, in the next few days or weeks,
01:27rice will be available to the families
01:30that will be released by the National Food Authority.
01:33Now, the Department of Agriculture has declared
01:36the Food Security Emergency for rice.
01:41Rice will be sold to LGUs, GOCs, and government agencies
01:45for P33 per kilo.
01:48It will be sold for P35 per kilo to consumers
01:52from the initial target of selling to consumers for P38 per kilo.
01:57The NFA is still waiting for the answer of LGUs who want to buy rice.
02:02According to the price,
02:04the NFA will have losses of P12 to P15 per kilo.
02:09But it will pave the way for the NFA to buy rice
02:13from farmers starting the harvest season.
02:17150,000 metric tons of rice will be released by the NFA
02:21within six months.
02:23But it is still possible for it to change
02:25depending on the duration of the implementation
02:27of the Food Security Emergency.
02:29According to the NFA, the price will be monitored
02:32and if the price will be lowered to the families,
02:35it will be discussed whether to lift or withdraw the declaration.
02:40But according to the Federation of Free Farmers Cooperative or FFF,
02:43to many farmers in the country,
02:45this has a negative effect on the farmers
02:47because they may lose money.
02:49If P35 per kilo will be sold to the market,
02:52it is equivalent to P17 to P18 per kilo for rice.
02:56The NFA's loss is also big
02:58because the rice was bought expensively
03:00but it will be sold cheaply.
03:02Connie, starting tomorrow,
03:04the maximum suggested retail price
03:07for 5% broken imported rice will be lowered
03:10to P55 per kilo.
03:12Meanwhile, by February 15,
03:14the implementation of the maximum suggested retail price
03:17will be carried out nationwide.
03:20Thank you very much, Bernadette Reyes.
