NEWSFLASH

20 PILOT PROVINCES FOR FOOD SECURITY PRORGAM

Manila, June 9, 2000 - The National Food Authority (NFA) has launched a food security program under the Lingap para sa Mahihirap Program of President Joseph "Erap" Ejercito Estrada in 20 pilot provinces to boost farmers’ income.

NFA Administrator Edno Joson said the project will enable farmers in the 20 pilot provinces to augment their income by providing them with production input loan of P14,000 per hectare.

The allocated area for each province is 68 hectares or a total program area of 1,500 hectares all over the country, Joson said.

Joson said the loans are payable in palay form for at least two weeks after harvest based on the NFA support price or the crop’s equivalent net weight.

The 20 designated provinces are: Abra (Region 1), Quirino (Region 2), Tarlac, Zambales, Bataan, Bulacan, Pampanga (Region 3), Laguna, Romblon (Region 4), Camarines Norte (Region 5), Negros Oriental (Region 7), Northern Leyte, Southern Leyte (Region 8), Zamboanga City (Region 9), Misamis Oriental, Surigao del Norte, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur (Region 10), Davao Oriental (Region 11), Lanao del Norte (Region 12), Lanao del Sur (ARMM) and Cavite.

These provinces are predominantly palay producers and have met the criteria set by the NFA-Lingap program. It is anticipated that palay production in the pilot provinces would dramatically improve, Joson said.

Earlier, the NFA also launched 70 commissioned personnel to track down supply and prices of NFA and commercial rice in various outlets in Metro Manila.

It also tasked its 1,200 regular employees to keep constant watch on rice supply and prices especially in NFA-dedicated rice stores that include the Enhanced Retail Access for the Poor (ERAP) sari sari stores, rolling stores and tinda vans, Palengke ng Bayan and Lingap Para sa Mahihirap outlets.

All these measures are being undertaken to put order in the local rice trading during the lean months of July to September.

Joson said the team leaders of the monitoring groups, composed of regular enforcement officers, have been authorized to apprehend grains businessmen who are caught committing illegal rice trading offenses.

The team leaders may suspend or cancel licenses of traders, imposed penalties and other sanctions depending on the violations committed.

The enforcement teams will be operating under the NFA business regulation department, headed by Director Emilio Andrion Jr., who spearheads and coordinates the monitoring and enforcement activities.