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BANAUE, Ifugao: “Are we going to allow the six billion rice
subsidy to be stolen.”
This was a reaction of Agriculture Secretary
Arthur Yap after he was dismayed with the performance of the
National Food Authority (NFA) distribution centers here over the
weekend.
The irate Yap said NFA managers must be in the
market monitoring the distribution of rice in NFA centers in their
area.
They must insure that rice is not stolen, he
added.
Yap said the supply of rice is there, the
government has spent six billion to subsidize this.
However, Yap questioned why there are still long
lines in NFA distribution centers, only to find out that people
falling in line put it in bags to be repacked at a later time and
sold at a higher price.
Internationally, prices of rice is definitely
higher than in the Philippines, the reason is because it is
subsidized by the government, and the rice varieties subsidized is
of good quality, probably why people repack it for resale at a
higher price.
“I will be recommending for more rice to be
distributed in the hinterlands where the people need it more,”
said Yap.
-- Larry Madarang
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