NUEVA ECIJA, Oct. 17 -- The National Food Authority (NFA) is targeting to achieve 100 percent drying capacity for the country's rice buffer stock by December 2026.

The target marks a sharp increase from the current 12 percent drying capacity for procured palay (unhusked rice).

NFA Administrator Larry Lacson said the goal is achievable by December 2026.

"We will be 100 percent capacity, meaning kaya na naming tuyuin 'yung bibilhin na namin na target (we can dry the palay that we are targeting to buy). We're filling up the 88 percent difference through this modernization," he said in an ambush interview Friday during the launch of a tonnage bag system in Nueva Ecija.

The NFA plans to procure 900,000 metric tons (MT) of palay from local ...