THE National Food Authority (NFA) has started selling P20-per-kilogram rice to rice farmers and farm workers, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).
In a statement on Wednesday, the DA said 18 NFA warehouses in Central and Northern Luzon have opened their gates to eligible farmers.
“Based on the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) data, around five million rice farmers and workers will qualify once this program is fully rolled out,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. said.
“This is one of the many steps we are taking to ease the burden of those who feed our nation and help secure our food supply,” he added.
According to the DA, eligible farmers till two hectares or less, while the eligible farm workers are those enrolled in the RSBSA.
They can buy up to 10 kilos monthly or a 50-kilo sack to cover their allocation from August to December.
Meanwhile, the subsidized rice program is also expected to be rolled out for 2.8 million RSBSA-registered fisherfolk and in other parts of the country.
Previously the program was limited to senior citizens, solo parents, persons with disabilities, 4Ps (Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program) beneficiaries, and later, minimum wage earners.
The program is expected to be scaled up and reach around 15 million households, or roughly 60 million persons, by 2026.
“The President has approved an P18-billion budget for the 2026 rollout, on top of a proposed P9-billion NFA palay procurement budget for 2025,” the DA said. — Justine Irish D. Tabile