By Marita Moaje
MANILA – The National Food Authority (NFA) expects to increase its palay storage capacity by 30 percent with the expanded use of one-ton bags, allowing the agency to buy and stock more rice from local farmers.
In a Bagong Pilipinas interview Monday, NFA Administrator Larry Lacson said pilot tests showed that the larger bags, which can be stacked more compactly than traditional 50-kilogram sacks, could make better use of warehouse space while cutting handling time by 75 percent and handling costs by 50 percent.
“Yung initial na nakita natin 30 percent increase in capacity. Dahil mas compact siya unlike yung mga 50 kilogram maraming mga awang in-between ng mga sako. Itong makikita ninyo, yung picture talagang compact na compact. 30 percent ang ating initial na computation, kumbaga sa dami ng ma ilalagay, mas dumadagdag siya ng (The initial observation we made was a 30-percent increase in capacity. Because it is more compact unlike the 50 kg ones, which have many gaps in between the sacks. What you see here, the picture is really compact. Our initial computation is 30 percent, meaning you can put more in it, it increases by) 30 percent,” Lacson said.
He said the NFA tested the system in Digos in Davao del Sur, Cabanatuan in Nueva Ecija, and Oriental Mindoro, which are among the country’s high palay-producing and procurement areas.
Lacson explained that under the traditional system, farmers’ harvests are transferred from their sacks to the NFA’s 50-kilogram sacks before storage, noting that this process takes time and often results in long queues at buying stations.
With the larger bags, he said palay can be transferred directly from farmers’ sacks, reducing the handling process, stressing that transactions that normally take an hour could now be completed in as little as 15 minutes.
“Yung karaniwan na isang oras na tinatagal ng transaksyon, minsan 15 minutes lang ang inaabot. Around 75 percent ang na-menos sa oras (The usual one-hour transaction sometimes only takes 15 minutes. Around 75 percent was reduced in time),” Lacson said.
Moreover, he said the tonner bags can also be reused for several years, reducing the agency’s expenses for replacing sacks.
Lacson said the NFA plans to introduce the system in at least 45 more warehouses.
He said the agency is procuring forklifts and additional bags in preparation for the expansion, as each warehouse needs a forklift to handle the one-ton loads.
The system is also expected to improve milling operations, particularly as the NFA completes its drying and rice milling facilities.
Lacson said the larger bags can be transported by forklift and unloaded directly into a milling facility’s dumping pit, eliminating the need for workers to carry individual 50-kilogram sacks.
He said the bags could help maintain palay quality because they absorb less moisture and are more resistant to insects and rodents, while fumigation procedures would remain unchanged.
Lacson added the improved storage and handling system would support the NFA’s efforts to increase palay procurement and replenish its rice buffer stocks.
He also urged farmers to sell their harvest to the agency, saying its warehouses remain open and its purchases would help build reserves ahead of the expected very strong El Niño.
“Kailangan pa po natin ng mas maraming palay. Kaakibat o kasama ito sa ating paghahanda sa darating na very strong El Niño, nang sa gayon, kung meron mga mangailangan ng bigas, marami po tayong may pangtutustos. Punta lamang kayo at ibenta ninyo ang inyong palay sa (We still need more rice. This is part of our preparation for the upcoming very strong El Niño, so that if anyone needs rice, we will have plenty of supply. Just go and sell your rice to the National Food Authority,” Lacson said. (PNA)
