PH to Keep Rice Imports Open Amid Strong El Niño, DA Assures Local Farmer Support

The Philippines is not keen on imposing a ban on imported rice as the country prepares for the food supply impact of the strong El Niño later this year, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said Tuesday. "There will be no import ban definitely because as I mentioned earlier there is a big El Niño coming towards November, December," Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. told reporters. The Agriculture chief made the pronouncement as the country's rice imports already breached three million metric tons (MT), while local harvest is about to begin in the "ber" months. "Actually, rice imports are already at 3.3 million metric tons as of yesterday," Tiu Laurel said. He said the country needs to beef up its buffer stocks of rice in preparation for the effects of El Niño come January to April 2027. Nevertheless, the Agriculture chief said the agency will not let farm-gate prices of palay or unhusked rice for local farmers fall due to higher volume of rice imports. "The difference this year and last year, the NFA is ready to buy rice. We are ready to buy 500,000 tons of palay from our local farmers," Tiu Laurel said. He said the National Food Authority has a budget of P20 billion for local palay procurement this year, higher than last year's P9-billion allocation. The NFA, he said, will buy wet palay at P21 per kilogram and P25 to P27 per kilogram for dry palay from local farmers. — VDV, GMA News