Manila, April 29 -- The National Food Authority (NFA) reported the procurement of 170,000 bags of palay (unhusked rice) in just three days following the implementation of the higher buying price for the commodity nationwide.

If converted, it is equivalent to 8,000 metric tons (MT), a slight increase in the national buffer stock.

"Dati nasa 42,200 metric tons, ngayon nasa more than 50,000 thousand metric tons... So, tumaas in just three days ano (Previously, it was just 42,200 MT, now it's more than 50,000 MT. So, it increased in just three days)," Administrator Larry Lacson, NFA Officer-in-Charge, said in an exclusive interview with the People's Television Network's "Spotlight" program on Sunday.

The NFA's new buying price is pegged at...