Imee Marcos wants NFA abolished

CEBU, Philippines —  Even if the agency was created by her father, former President Ferdinand Marcos, senatorial candidate and Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos wants the National Food Authority dissolved because the agency reportedly is not helping local farmers.

“Ang NFA na ‘yan, although tinatag ng tatay ko, dapat yatang buwagin na at ibigay nalang sa farmers ang eight billion (pesos) na nakukuha nila,” Marcos said, pertaining to the agency’s budget.

She made the statement in an interview with The Freeman during a visit to Cebu yesterday.

Marcos said the NFA is not helping local farmers because it imports rice from other countries. She believes this is so because NFA gains more profit.

Also, the NFA doesn’t seem to buy rice “at a normal price,” she said, pointing to the time when it was buying rice at P17 when it was being sold at P28.

In Ilocos Norte, Marcos said, rice is being sold at P27 and this is possible because the province buys rice from traders and from farmers cooperatives. This can be replicated nationwide, she said.

“I don’t see why not. That’s what NFA is supposed to be doing. They have a huge budget at P8 billion… they don’t seem to buy rice at a normal price,” she said.

Marcos said the reasons why the national government cannot do what they are doing in Ilocos are “lack of attention” and “gross neglect” to agriculture.

“Mahirap kasi, ang agriculture napapansin lang ‘pag tumataas ang presyo ng pagkain,” Marcos said.

She believes this is also the reason why students nowadays are not interested in pursuing an agriculture or forestry degree – they simply don’t see a future in these industries.

Another reason why Marcos wants the NFA dissolved is that the agency no longer owns its warehouse in Bicutan because the previous administration has sold it to a private company.

The Bicutan warehouse is the landing area for all imported NFA rice, and from there, rice is distributed to the markets of Manila.

Marcos said she has introduced the idea of building a “Bicutan” in Cebu as a food terminal that would “feed” Metro Cebu.

“The idea was to put another Bicutan here in Cebu as well, another food terminal… that was supposed to be another operation to feed Metro Cebu. Di na nga natuloy and NFA doesn’t seem to be interested,” Marcos said.

It was on September 26, 1972 when the former president signed Presidential Decree No. 4 that established the then National Grains Authority. — John Kendrick P. Ceciban, USJ-R Intern/JMO (FREEMAN)