Food security emergency may be declared on Feb. 4

A food security emergency can be declared on Tuesday, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said after he formally received the approved resolution of the National Price Coordinating Council (NPCC).

- By BELLA CARIASO

Under the newly enacted Republic Act 12078 or the Agricultural Tariffication Act, the Department of Agriculture (DA) — upon the recommendation of the NPCC — may declare a food security emergency to address supply shortages or extraordinary increases in rice prices.

“By Tuesday, we will be declaring the food security emergency. I did not see the entire document, but I saw the signature of the chairman,” Tiu Laurel said yesterday, referring to Trade Secretary Maria Cristina Roque who serves as head of the NPCC.

According to Tiu Laurel, he will meet with officials of the National Food Authority (NFA), Food Terminal Inc. and Kadiwa to look at the plans for the rollout.

“This (food security emergency) will be nationwide,” he noted.

Tiu Laurel said the NFA can start selling its rice stocks at P36 per kilo to local government units, which can resell it at P38 per kilo.

“We can now have space for our procurement of palay as we can release the 300,000 tons of rice to the market within six months and hopefully bring down the retail price of rice,” Tiu Laurel said.