(Eagle News) — More than a million sacks of rice imported by the government have not yet been taken down from the cargo ships where they are still loaded because of inclement weather, according to the National Food Authority (NFA).
In an interview at Net 25’s Agila Balita Alas Dose, Estoperez said that the reason behind the seeming lack of NFA rice in public markets was because the shipments of imported rice are still stuck inside the cargo vessels in different ports.
He said rains the previous days have prevented the NFA from conducting 24 hour operations.
In Metro Manila alone, Estoperez that there were a million sacks of rice that have not yet been unloaded from the cargo ships.
In Subic, there are about 280,000 sacks of rice which still have to be unloaded. Other imported rice are still stuck in cargo ships in Poro Point in La Union, and in the Batangas port, he said.
“Ang Subic for example, may 280,000 bags of rice pa tayo na dapat ibaba. Sa NCR naman ay mayroon pang almost a million na dapat ibaba. Sa Poro point, meron din. Sa Region 4, sa Batangas ay meron din tayong dapat na ibaba. Ang problema lang po natin dahil sa masamang panahon hindi tayo nakakapag-operate ng 24 hours,” Estoperez explained.
He said that because of the rice imported by the NFA, there is really enough supply for the country’s needs.