National Food Authority Administrator Jessup P. Navarro yesterday said that the NFA would release to the market 28 million bags of rice nationwide in the next six months to stabilize supply and preempt any possible increase in prices during the traditional lean months of August and September.

Navarro said that for July and August, the NFA would distribute some 6.5 million bags of rice. The volume would be reduced to five million bags in September when the main harvest starts and would be maintained at three million bags per month as the harvest peaks until December.

According to Navarro, NFA’s increased market injection of from 3,000 to 14,000 bags daily has prevented an abrupt increase in the price of rice even after typhoon Frank hit the country.

For the first week of July, prevailing wholesale price of regular-milled rice has been monitored at P34.76 per kg and the well-milled variety at P36.67 per kg.

Average retail price of regular milled rice, is P35.99 per kg and well-milled at P38.44 per kg. The high rice consuming area of Metro Manila would get the highest share at an average of 54,633 bags per day for July and August or a total of 6.6 million bags until the year ends.

Market injection rates for other regions are Region 3, 2.5 million bags; Region 4, 2.4 million; and Region 7, 2.1 million bags.

NFA rice remains available at P18.25 per kg in community-based outlets such as the Tindahan Natin and Bigasan sa Parokya which are operated by religious groups and local government units (LGUs). The community-based rice outlets are specifically intended to cater to the lowincome group.

High end varieties with 15 percent and five percent brokens priced at P25 and P35 per kg, respectively, are available at accredited retailers and institutionalized Bigasan ni Gloria sa Palengke outlets in the market.

The NFA is injecting high-end rice varieties to influence the price of commercial rice.