The Iloilo provincial government will augment rice distribution in 42 municipalities and one component city using PHP299 million Local Government Support Fund, with the rice to be procured directly from local farmers’ cooperatives and associations.

The provincial government completed a pre-negotiation conference Thursday with farmers’ cooperatives and associations interested in supplying the rice, said Geron Magbanua, acting head of the Provincial Agriculture Office.

“Yesterday we completed our pre-negotiation conference. We met with (farmers) cooperatives and associations that are interested in bidding,” Magbanua said in a phone interview.

The province will procure locally produced rice from farmers’ cooperatives and associations registered with the Farmers and Fisherfolk Enterprise Development Information System, or FFEDIS, through negotiated procurement allowed under the Sagip Saka Act.

Winning suppliers will deliver the rice directly to the 43 local government units, Magbanua said.

“This is one platform where we can give importance to our farmers to sell their rice produce directly to the government,” he said.

The province will open bids Sept. 8 and expects rice distribution to begin after 30 days.

The program aims to provide rice to 83,000 vulnerable households in six tranches of 10 kilograms each.

It will be downloaded as augmentation for the 43 LGUs, separate from the PHP5 million LGSF they each received from the national government, also intended for rice distribution.

Magbanua said the provincial government will initially release PHP5 million worth of rice to each of the 43 LGUs. The remaining funds will be allocated based on population.

He said farmers may inform their respective LGUs if they have rice stocks available so FFEDIS-accredited cooperatives and associations can identify potential supplies.

Magbanua urged cooperatives and associations to buy farmers’ rice stocks at a reasonable price.

He assured beneficiaries that the rice will be sourced locally and will meet quality and safety standards.

“The rice will come from our local source,” he said. (PNA)