LEGAZPI CITY --- Albay Gov. Joey Sarte Salceda the other day appointed provincial board member Ramon Alsua as rice czar for the province.

        Alsua, chair of the committee on agriculture of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Albay will head the rice monitoring team created by Gov. Salceda to oversee and check the production and supply of rice in the 15 towns and three cities of the province.

        Salceda also tasked Alsua to monitor the P21.5 million credit line provided by the provincial government to LGUs for them to operate NFA grains retailing outlets in their respective areas.

        Alsua will also monitor production, planting intentions, NFA operations, market situations and prices.

        “Based on his monitoring he will recommend to me policies and measures that needs to be implemented to cushion the global price spikes of basic food commodities,” Salceda said.

        Salceda released the rice loan program to provide town and city mayors with capital to operate NFA outlets to cushion the effects of the rise in prices of rice specifically prices of commercial rice that now sells P31 to P35 per kilo.

        The governor said the credit line extended to LGUs is zero interest and payable in six months.

        The fund assistance will allow town and city mayors to operate NFA grains outlets to ensure that cheap NFA rice becomes accessible to poor families.

        He said that with the tight supply of rice “we cannot over rely on private outlets.”

        “The provincial government is giving the LGUs capital to jumpstart a business that will address the current food crisis by extending to each of them credit line for them to operate a grains retail outlet.

        Salceda said he had appropriated P2 million each for the cities of Legazpi, Tabaco, and Daraga; P1.5 million each for the towns of Camalig, Ligao, Polangui, Oas and Libon; P1 million each for Bacacay, Pioduran, Tiwi and Malinao; and P500,000 each for Jovellar, Sto. Domingo, Rapu-rapu, Manito, and Malilipot.