The National Food Authority expects 120,000 bags of imported rice to arrive first week of May in Negros Occidental.

The stocks are part of the 1.2 million imported rice allocation for Western Visayas for 2008, Vilma Zarraga, NFA 6 officer-in-charge, said.

Last Monday, 130,000 bags arrived in Iloilo for distribution to five provinces in Panay, including Iloilo, Aklan, Antique, Capiz and Guimaras.

The Panay provinces have an allocation of more than 500,000  sacks.

Zarraga said that rice importation is part of NFA’s program to supply the rice requirements during non-harvest or lean months from July to September.

With farmers now harvesting, and with the coming in of imported rice, the region is assured of continued supply, and   additional imports will still arrive before the lean months, she said.

Zarraga said the daily rice consumption in Western Visayas is 58,000 bags or 1.74 million bags monthly.

Earlier, Gov. Isidro Zayco said Negros Occidental is expected to increase rice production this year with the prolonged rainy season.

NFA provincial manager Marianito Bejemino had also assured Negrenses that the province has adequate rice supply, and  even have a bigger inventory of rice at present that during the same period last year.*NLG

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