Manila: The National Food Authority in Bicol (NFA-5) on Friday assured the public that it has ample palay and rice stocks to support relief operations for local government units affected by the ongoing unrest of Mayon Volcano. In a press conference on Friday, Julie Llenaresas, assistant regional manager of NFA-5, reported that the agency has 766,600 bags of palay and 103,517 bags of milled rice in stock, with each bag weighing 50 kilograms.

According to Philippines News Agency, Llenaresas highlighted the sufficiency of the current rice stocks, which were bolstered by significant procurement during the harvest season, particularly in Camarines Sur. This has enabled the agency to prepare a substantial amount of rice for distribution as relief goods to families affected by the Mayon Volcano unrest.

Llenaresas emphasized that if the Mayon alert status escalates and remains high for up to six months, neighboring NFA regions are prepared to augment the rice supply for the affected families. She also urged farmers to sell their harvest to the agency, which offers PHP17 per kilogram for wet palay and PHP23 per kilogram for clean and dry palay, to strengthen buffer stocks for emergencies.

Meanwhile, NFA Albay reported that 2,060 sacks of rice are currently being withdrawn from its Tabaco City warehouse for use in ongoing relief operations for communities impacted by the volcanic activity.