According to Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, the Department of Agriculture (DA) will sell high-quality NFA rice at P20 per kilo in Kadiwa stores.
This offer is only open to the vulnerable sector such as indigents, senior citizens, solo parents, and persons with disabilities, where each beneficiary can buy up to 30 kilos of rice per month.
The sale may also be opened to all residents in the 10 local government units that joined the initiative of the Visayas governors, such as San Juan in Metro Manila, San Jose del Monte in Bulacan, Camarines Sur, and Mati City in Davao Oriental.
“The new rice option aligns with the ‘Bente Bigas Mo’ pilot program in the Visayas and the 10 local government units (LGUs) that have joined the initiative, where NFA rice is sold at P33 per kilo because of the national food security emergency,” Laurel said.
“With world market prices now averaging just USD 300 per metric ton—down from a high of over USD 700—and with NFA buffer stocks at their strongest in years, we felt the conditions were finally right to launch,” the secretary added.
According to DA monitoring, the selling price of rice in Metro Manila currently ranges from P39.99 to P58.17 per kilo.
