Gov. Isidro Zayco yesterday said the National Food Authority has deputized mayors and barangay captains of Negros Occidental to help monitor  prices  and to  ensure that NFA rice in their areas is not rebagged and sold at commercial rates.

There is no shortage of rice in Negros Occidental, Zayco also stressed.

NFA Provincial Manager Marianito Bejemino yesterday also said there is still 1.4 million bags of rice in Negros Occidental and 120,000 bags more from Vietnam are expected to arrive today or tomorrow.

NFA rice sells at P18.25 a kilo, he said.

The Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Negros Occidental yesterday passed a resolution calling for the utmost attention of President Gloria Arroyo on their proposed measures to avert the rice crisis in the province.

In an attempt to help the consuming public who will be greatly affected by the looming rice crisis, the SP asked Arroyo to strengthen the mandate of the NFA on its regulatory powers to ensure that no hoarding of stocks will take place, and to fully comply with the required buffer stock for the province.

Board Member Adolfo Mangao, chairperson of the SP Committee on Agriculture, who authored the resolution, also called on the Departments of Agriculture and Trade and Industry to consolidate efforts and resources to provide a vigilant watch on the price of rice in the market, and for citizens to be vigilant against rice hoarding.

And for the long term resolution of the problem, the SP also urged Arroyo to allocate more funds to agriculture as subsidy for farm inputs, and for each local government to allocate a portion of their Internal Revenue Allotment for the agriculture sector to ensure sustainability.

Mangao said that while the provincial NFA reported enough supply of rice in Negros Occidental, prices increased ranging from 15 to 18 percent, despite the ongoing harvest season.

A similar resolution authored by Board Member Miller Serondo, was also passed by the SP, requiring officials of the NFA, DTI, Office of the Provincial Agriculturist to brief them on the rice situation at their regular session  next week.*CPG/GPB

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MANILA – Philippine authorities yesterday ordered police to arrest rice hoarders and illegal traders as the country struggles to cope with rising prices of the key food staple.

Police will be deployed to warehouses owned by the NFA, to prevent any pilfering by rogue traders, national police operations chief Silverio Alarcio said in a statement.

The move is aimed at pre-empting the "impact on peace and order of price rises not only in rice but other basic commodities," the statement said.

President Gloria Arroyo this week said she will negotiate for more rice shipments from Thailand and other neighboring countries to avert a possible supply crisis during the lean months from July to September.

Analysts and farmer groups have said traders hoarding the grain could also force the retail price of the grain to artificially rise.

Rice is the staple food in this Southeast Asian country of 90 million, and experts have warned of social unrest if prices soar amid the supply crunch.

Alarcio also ordered regional commanders to work closely with local governments to fight the illegal rice trade and said police would follow delivery trucks to ensure that NFA rice did not "end up in illegal warehouses."

"We will do that and hit hard on the hoarders who are causing this artificial crisis," he said.*AFP

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