CITY OF MALOLOS — The local governments of Malolos and Pulilan have agreed to help the National Food Authority (NFA) in its palay procurement program by adding P3.00 per kilo on top of the agency’s palay-buying price.

Benjamin de Guzman, officer in charge of NFA-Bulacan, confided to ARKIPELAGO NEWS Bulacan that it has already signed a memorandum of agreement with the local government units of Malolos and Pulilan on its Palay Marketing Assistance Program for Legislators and Local Government Units (PALLGU).

The agency is also currently negotiating with other LGUs in Bulacan to participate in the program and is hopeful that other LGUs may follow by next year, de Guzman noted.

It can be recalled that the agency had a hard time in the past palay harvest seasons in its palay procurement program because commercial palay and rice traders have higher buying prices compared to the NFA.

Recently, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. who is also the agriculture secretary and head of the NFA Council has approved raising the government support buying price of the NFA from P19.00 to P23.00 per kilo.

The NFA can now procure P26.00 per kilo on farmers produce on LGUs that have entered with a PALLGU agreement with the agency, de Guzman noted.

On the other hand, current commercial palay prices at the Intercity Industrial Estate and Golden City Business Park in Bocaue town, two major rice trading centers in Luzon, are pegged at an average of P25.00 to P26.50 per kilo depending on its qualities and varieties.

The palay prices are expected to slide down as the palay harvest season peaks late this month and next month, palay traders noted

Photo: Mon Lazaro