ILAGAN, Isabela, November 11 -–The National Food Authority (NFA) and the local government units in this province have joined hands in helping farmers to dispose of and benefit from their damaged harvest.

With this, it is expected that farmers in Cagayan Valley region whose palay harvests were greatly affected by the recent typhoon and flash floods can now feel some sort of relief.

Governor Faustino G. Dy III asked NFA to procure the palay harvests of Isabela farmers to ease their financial burden due to the catastrophe that hit the province recently.

The provincial governments in Cagayan Valley and NFA officials appealed to the Department of Agriculture (DA) to help the affected farmers.

After this, Gov. Dy and NFA Isabela Provincial Manager Rocky Valdez agreed to immediately start the special procurement program for storm-affected farmers of Isabela.

Dy said the province is allotted the highest number of cavans to be procured by NFA since it has the biggest recorded damages.

He noted 20,000 cavans is allotted for Isabela but he is requesting that the initial allotment be increased to at least 50,000 cavans. Each farmer can only sell up to 50 cavans of rain-soaked palay to the NFA with a price sharing scheme between the latter and the provincial government.

For each kilo of storm-damaged but dry palay, NFA will pay the farmer P12.00 and the provincial government will add P3.00 for a total of P15.00 per kilo.

Rain-soaked palay that are considered wet are priced at P5.80 per kilo by the NFA and the provincial government will add P3.00 for a total of P8.80 per kilo.

Dy said that affected farmers who do not have NFA Passbook can avail of the NFA’s special procurement program by coordinating with the City or Municipal Agriculture Officers (C/MAO) in their respective areas and secure a certification from the said office and present this to the NFA. (PNA) LAP/SCD/MEdale/mba

Source: NFA agrees to buy storm-soaked palay from Isabela farmers