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NFA-North Cotabato provincial manager Fernando Nuñez said that under the program 5,932 bags of rice amounting to P4.8 million were sold to different farmers cooperatives and organizations in the province.
Nuñez said a total of 11 farmers’ organizations have availed of the FAIR program during the first two quarters of 2006.
FAIR program is a procurement incentive designed to encourage accredited farmers to sell their harvest to NFA.
In turn, the farmer-seller would be entitled to buy from NFA up to 25 percent of the rice recovery from the palay stocks sold to the agency the previous year.
Nuñez said the rice allocation is for the farmers’ own consumption during the lean months when prices of palay are relatively high.
He added the objective of the program is to assure farmer-members of accredited cooperatives of the direct availability of NFA rice for their consumption at affordable prices.
This program would also prevent the farmers from buying commercial rice at high prices during the lean months.
“We are very thankful that the provincial farmers’ action council, an artery linking all farmer organizations and cooperatives, is giving their all out support in the implementation FAIR program,” Nuñez said. (Williamor A. Magbanua/MindaNews)