Manila, July 16 -- To support Filipino farmers in the upcoming wet harvest season, the National Food Authority (NFA) on Thursday said it will buy fresh and wet palay (unhusked rice) at PHP21 per kilogram nationwide.

This is higher than the PHP17 per kilogram minimum buying price for wet palay.

In a statement, DA Secretary and NFA Council Chairperson Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the initiative will help farmers recover from the effects of high production costs.

The previous tensions in the Middle East have prompted international fuel price surges, as well as spikes in fertilizer costs.

"I've ordered the NFA to set the minimum buying price for wet palay at PHP21 per kilo to help address the higher cost of fertilizer and other inputs,"...