The National Food Authority (NFA) has been urged to sell more iron-fortified rice (IFR) all over the country to reduce the increasing vitamin A deficiency among children. Herculano Co, president of the Philippine Confederation of Grains Associations (Philcongrains), said NFA is the most logical agency to promote the consumption of IFR since it has 14,581 Tindahan sa Nation (TN) outlets nationwide out of a total of 23,800 market outlets. Philcongrains has been regarded as a pioneer in biofortification and has donated truckloads of IFR to the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) for distribution to depressed communities in the National Capital Region (NCR).

Co stressed that the Biofortification Law requires all sellers of flour, rice, salt and cooking oil to add nutrients to their products. He noted that the Department of Education (DepEd) itself had admitted that 36 percent of all public elementary school pupils are suffering from vitamin A deficiency that can be corrected by fortifying the food they eat with iron and other nutrients.

Co explained the best way to reduce malnutrition is to provide pupils enrolled in the Food for School Program (FSP) with fortified rice or noodles.

Fortification should be undertaken in the country since health authorities must supervise the process of adding nutrients to food, Co stressed, saying that exporters cannot be expected to do this task.

He called on NFA Administrator Jessup Navarro to intensify the fortification of rice all over the country and employ more people in the process.

Co said fortification can be done in rice mills owned by private individuals or in facilities of the NFA, which has warehouses spread all over the country.

He added that NFA can buy wet palay, dry them and eventually fortify the grains in these facilities.

NFA maintains huge warehouses in Nueva Ecija which can be the hub for fortifying rice.

The NFA Council, the policy making body of the agency, also wants TN outlets to distribute 100 percent IFR at P18.25 per kilo exclusively for families with Family Access Cards issued by the Department of Social Welfare and Development in NCR and those listed in the TN Rice Allocation Ledger in the provinces.

Co said fortification of rice stocks is necessary now in view of the impending lean months, when demand exceeds supply and prices tend to rise.

Navarro said the season is also marked by an increase in the number of violations of NFA trading rules. Low supply and added costs for grains drying also push prices up, he admitted.