NFA-Abra offers free registration for Farmer’s Passbook to enable the farmers to sell their palay at the said office.
NFA-Abra Provincial Director Elizabeth Kai said the Farmer’s Passbook is a requirement for farmers selling to NFA. For first-time sellers without Farmer’s Passbooks, the office will accept up to 200 bags.
The requirements for registration of the Farmer’s Passbook are 1×1 ID picture and tax declaration of the agricultural land certified by the Municipal Agriculturist. For cooperatives and associations, they need to submit photocopies of CDA/DOLE registration, set of officers and constitution and by-laws.
She said they encourage the farmers to sell “clean and dry” palay with 14% moisture content and 95% purity at a maximum price of P20.40-P20.70 per kilo to maintain the good quality of stocks and minimize losses. The buying station is located at Calaba, Bangued. NFA can also pick up the palay on a scheduled basis.
From January to April 2019, NFA has bought 6,156 bags of palay from the local farmers.
NFA assumes its new role under the Rice Liberalization Law effective on March 5, 2019, as buffer stocking agency for calamities and emergencies sourced solely from local farmers.
The NFA’s regulatory functions over the international and domestic trading of rice have been terminated.