Despite rising costs Commercial rice still in demand

CEBU, Philippines — Demand for commercial rice has remained up despite their rising costs, a Cebuano rice trader said, while other consumers also look for cheaper variants like the government-subsidized rice.

In a phone interview yesterday, Erwin Goc-ong, president of the Cebu Market Vendors Cooperative (CEMVEDCO), said commercial rice prices have increased by an average P6 per kilo compared to their costs earlier this year.

"The demand remains up because rice is a staple among Filipino consumers," Goc-ong told The FREEMAN in Cebuano.

Goc-ong, who owns a rice store in Cebu’s Carbon Public Market, also noted that prices of imported rice have gone down by P100 per sack as rice imports increased recently. 

He added buyers of NFA (National Food Authority) rice in public markets have also risen since commercial rice started becoming expensive.

The rice trader raised the need for more NFA rice injected in the market to stabilize commercial rice prices.

Goc-ong, who's been in the rice business for 30 years now, added it's during these times when cheap government rice becomes more helpful, thus its wide distribution is key.

NFA rice is sold at P27 per kilo for regular milled rice and P32 per kilo for well milled rice.

Aside from public markets, supermarkets are now being tapped to also sell cheap rice.

The NFA had signed a tripartite memorandum of agreement with DTI and Philippine Amalgamated Supermarkets Association to make NFA rice available in various supermarkets nationwide.