Allow entry of privately imported rice, NFA told

The inter-agency National Food Authority Council on Wednesday ordered the management of the state-run grains agency to allow the entry of the remaining volume of rice under an earlier private sector-led importation to ensure enough buffer stocks ahead of the lean season.

“We have already ordered the NFA management to sign the remaining import permits covering 54,000 metric tons from the 2016 minimum access volume [MAV] that are already in our domestic ports, and publish the extension until June for the remaining 20,000 MT to augment our industry stocks,” NFA Council Chairman Leoncio Evasco said in a statement.