The National Food Authority has tapped 15 rice mills in Region 12 under an emergency procurement program aimed at strengthening food security in SOCCSKSARGEN while creating more warehouse space to buy palay from nearly 1,100 farmers in Central Mindanao.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., who also chairs the NFA Council, said rice milling activity has been intensified also to support the President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s flagship food program, Benteng Bigas, Meron Na! The emergency procurement of milling services initiative covers more than 215,000 50-kilo bags of palay harvested across the region, with contracts valued at P48.5 million. The program is expected to produce 133,251 bags of rice for government buffer stocks at a time when authorities continue to closely monitor domestic food supply and price stability.
“This is more than just a procurement exercise. Every bag of palay we move out of our warehouses means another farmer we can help and another family assured that their harvest has value,” said NFA administrator Larry Lacson. “We are clearing space not simply to store rice, but to keep buying from farmers who rely on us during difficult market conditions. That support can spell the difference between profit and loss for many small growers,” he added.
The bulk of the milling contracts, covering around 161,841 bags of palay, was awarded to six millers in North Cotabato, which collectively have a 12-hour milling capacity of 4,526 bags. Another six millers in Sultan Kudarat will process 45,357 bags, while three millers in South Cotabato will handle the remaining 7,965 bags.
Tiu Laurel said the NFA milling program was designed not only to secure rice supply but also to sustain palay buying operations at favorable prices for farmers. He said the milling contract will be replicated in other areas of the country to maximize benefits for local rice producers. “We cannot allow our farmers to carry the burden alone after months of hard work in the fields,” Tiu Laurel said.
“When government steps in to buy their harvest at fair prices, we protect livelihoods, strengthen food security, and ensure that Filipino families will continue to have rice on their tables,” he added.
SOCCSKSARGEN remains one of Mindanao’s major rice-producing regions, generating as much as 1.5 million metric tons of palay annually, with North Cotabato accounting for roughly 40 percent of total regional output.
