NFA one-ton bagging system pilot concludes, due for launch soon

THE National Food Authority (NFA) said its one-ton rice bagging system is set for nationwide launch after concluding pilot tests at three sites last year, with the new setup expected to be in place in the majority of its warehouses by June 2028.

NFA Administrator Larry R. Lacson told reporters that all branches have been instructed to designate at least one warehouse to adopt the “tonner bag” system. Each reusable jumbo bag can hold the equivalent of 12 standard 50-kilogram sacks of palay (unmilled rice).

“We piloted at three sites last year,” he said, adding that the rollout is expected to take place in 42 more sites,” he said.

The pilot sites were in Nueva Ecija, Occidental Mindoro, and Davao del Sur.

The use of larger volumes for bagging palay is expected to save up to P1.3 million per warehouse.

The NFA currently uses printed sacks for palay procured from farmers. Each sack, which can be used only once, costs around P15, in addition to the labor required to handle and stack thousands of individual bags.

The new tonner bags, at P325 apiece, can be reused up to five times, making them more cost-efficient, the NFA has said.

It said the airtight tonner bags help protect palay from moisture, heat, insects and rodents, preserving grain quality and minimizing losses.

Mr. Lacson said that based on pilot testing, the new system will improve warehouse efficiency.

“There’s savings in space, savings in time. Almost 40% of the time is saved… Then, there’s also savings in labor,” he said.

The NFA said it plans to procure gantry cranes for the three pilot sites to improve handling efficiency. Mr. Lacson said it is currently conducting a study to ensure the durability and quality of the equipment.

Mr. Lacson said the NFA cannot yet estimate the total cost of the new bagging system.

However, he said each warehouse will require around P2 million for the tonner bags, aside from additional funds for forklifts and other equipment.

The NFA said it can fund the rollout with internal funds, including proceeds from auctioning rice stocks. — Vonn Andrei E. Villamiel