The National Food Authority-Oriental Negros field office called on the public to shift to eating more corn instead of rice to help reduce the volume of rice imported from other countries, particularly Thailand, China and Vietnam.

NFA assistant provincial manager Francisco Lorico, Jr. made the appeal in support of a similar call by the Department of Agriculture.

Lorico said that like the DA, his agency wants to make sure that the people have enough food supply.

Quoting figures, he said about 40 percent of the province's more than 1.2 million people eat corn and the remaining 60 percent eat rice. But, he noted that their consumption depends on prevailing costs in the market although some 20 percent prefer rice because of the small difference in the cost per kilogram between rice and corn.

One kilo of corn costs P16.50 while that of NFA rice is P18.

Lorico, meanwhile, said the price of corn could increase in February and March because of last year's poor harvest.

At the moment, NFA-accredited rolling stores throughout the province are selling some 48,582 bags of rice.

This year, he said, the food agency targets to distribute about 275,000 bags, 65,000 more than last year's volume.*RG

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