IMBAK NA BIGAS, MAIS NUMIPIS

BUMAGSAK ang rice stockpile ng bansa noong Setyembre sa pinakamababang antas nito sa nakalipas na 10 taon sa 1.168 million metric tons (MMT), ayon sa Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

Sa pinakabagong inventory report ng PSA, ang rice volume na tangan ng bansa hanggang noong Setyembre 1 ay mas mababa ng 17.91 percent sa 1.422 MMT na naitala noong Setyembre 2017.

“This was 23.19 percent lower than last month’s inventory level of 1.520 [MMT],” pahayag ng PSA.

Ito ang pinakamababang rice volume na hawak ng bansa magmula nang maitala ang 1.375 MMT noong Oktubre  2007.

Sa total volume na naiposte sa pagsisimula ng Setyembre, mahigit kalahati o 52.24 percent ang nakaimbak sa mga kabahayan habang 38.25 percent ang nasa commercial warehouses. Ang nalalabing volume ay nasa mga bodega ng National Food Authority (NFA).

Ang rice stockpile sa mga kabahayan ay tinatayang nasa 610,200 MT habang ang nasa commercial warehouses at NFA depositories ay 446,730 MT at 111,100 MT, ayon sa pagkakasunod.

“Compared with their levels last month, rice stocks in households and commercial warehouses declined by 18.25 percent and 33.64 percent, respectively. On the other hand, rice stocks in NFA depositories as of 01 September 2018 grew by 9.84 percent from the previous month’s nventory level,” sabi ng PSA.

“Compared to the previous year, rice stocks in NFA depositories increased by 69.52 percent. However, stocks in households and commercial warehouses decreased by 11.44 percent and 33.64 percent, respectively,” dagdag pa nito.

Iniulat din ng PSA na ang total corn inventory ng bansa hanggang Setyembre 1 ay bu­maba ng  62.6 percent sa 531,070 MT, mula sa f 1.422 MMT na naitala noong nakaraang taon.

“Likewise, corn stocks inventory for the period was down by 56.54% from the previous month’s stock level [of 1.221 MMT],” anang ahensiya.

Sa kabuuang imbentaryo, may 74.81 percent ang nasa commercial warehouses habang ang nalalabing 25.19 percent ay nasa mga kabahayan.

“Year-on-year, corn stocks inventory in the households and commercial warehouses decreased by 14.35 percent and 68.61 percent, respectively. There were no corn stocks in NFA depositories as of September 2018,” ayon sa PSA.

“Compared with last month, corn stock in the households was almost twice from the previous month’s level of 70.21 thousand metric tons. However, commercial stocks dropped by 65.51 percent. As of August 2018, there were also no stocks in NFA depositories,” dagdag pa nito.   JASPER ARCALAS