Retailers, nutrition officers declare support to NFA’s I-rice

By Rizalie Anding Calibo

Having greater awareness of the program and with deeper understanding of the benefits derived from iron fortified rice plus its affordable price, retailers in Siquijor province declared eagerness to support the program and to step the sale in their localities.

This was learned from the National Food Authority (NFA) press release recently following the simultaneous launching of Iron Fortified Rice program (I-Rice) earlier.

NFA Manager Edgardo Garcia said grain retailers are NFA’s partner in distributing rice to the public thus play a vital role in the effective implementation of the program.

“Kayo ang kaakibat para maparating sa mga mamamayan ang tama at murang presyo ng iron fortified rice,” he said.

He said that as grains businessmen, they do not operate for profit alone but what combined with it is their social responsibility to the community.

Also declaring support are Provincial Health officer and nutrition action officer Dr. Redempta A. Cortes, who as resource speaker during the launching, explained what micronutrient or hidden hunger is all about, and Provincial Nutrition Program Coordinator Helen Jimenez who said she would push for the use of iron fortified rice in their supplementary feeding. 

Araceli Larot of the Municipal Agriculturist Office also shared the success of their program citing the marked reduction of malnutrition cases in their municipality.

Some 150 IBGP and BBO outlets, officers of the local chapter of the grains retailers confederation (GRECON) attended the simultaneous launching of I-fortified at the NFA office in Nonoc, Larena, Siquijor.

The iron fortified rice is sold at P27.00 per kilogram and now available in the NFA accredited outlets. (PIA-Siquijor)