By Jocelyn P. Alvarez
ZAMBOANGA
CITY, May 07, (PIA) - - The National Food
Authority (NFA) here encourages local rice farmers to increase their
production.
NFA’s record as of last
year reveals that the city’s farmers produce 18% (only) of rice that is why some
of the rice came from neighboring provinces like Zamboanga Del Sur, Zamboanga
Sibugay, to as far as General Santos City, Ilo-Ilo, Cotabato and Manila.
NFA provincial Manager
Gaudencio Nuega Jr. said, of the city’s 98 barangays, only five of these are
into rice production.
Rice-producing barangays
include Manicahan, Talisayan, Curuan, San Ramon and Talisayan.
Nuega said, Zamboanga is
not a rice-producing city and can be categorized as “critical” area in terms of
rice production.
The rice-eating populace of
the city is consuming 6, 196 bags/sack of rice per day, and only 15% NFA rice
is being supplied by the food authority to the market while 85% are commercial
rice, Nuega said.
Rice farmers, farmers
‘cooperatives, bring/sell their milled rice to NFA, and NFA supplies the
market. (JPA/PIA9-ZBST)