NFA misses buffer stock procurement target in Q1

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May 19, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — The National Food Authority (NFA) missed its unhusked rice procurement target of 313,315 metric tons (MT) from January to early-May, amid aggressive palay purchases from private traders.

Government palay procurements reached 13,127 MT or 62,540 bags of palay, representing 4.2 percent of the NFA’s targets for the period.

Rice stocks held by the NFA stood at 337,618 MT or 6.75 million bags of palay, enough to last about 8.74 days of national consumption.

NFA administrator Larry Lacson said procurements were surpassed by private traders early this year, as palay farmgate prices more than tripled from the P8-per-kilo low seen earlier in 2026.

He added that farmers have significantly benefited from the higher farmgate prices, noting that the elevated prices will allow the NFA to be flexible in buying more palay by the end of the harvest period and ahead of the main procurement season later in the year.

Lacson said that the agency has “aggressively stepped up palay buying” since farmgate prices declined during the start of April, purchasing about 11,301 MT.

He added that 15 percent of the projected output during the dry season has not yet been harvested, noting that the NFA intends to maximize procurement to aid farmers and bolster national rice stocks.

Lacson also called on farmers registered under the Registry System for Basic Sector in Agriculture (RSBSA) to sell their harvests to the NFA, as the agency continues to prioritize registered producers to ensure better procurements.

He added that selling palay to the agency would support the government’s P20 per kilo rice program, which provides subsidized rice to Filipinos.

“The NFA has been adjusting to a very dynamic market, stepping back when private traders offered higher prices to ensure farmers benefited, then stepping up its buying as prices normalized,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., who heads the NFA Council, said.

He added that the NFA must continue its buffer stock mandate, prioritize support to small farmers, and remain ready to stabilize supply and prices, “especially as we approach the lean months and the next main harvest cycle.”