DA: Rice supply, prices stable

December 15 ------ The supply and pricing of rice are stable despite the importation ban and the devastation caused by recent tropical cyclones, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said. "Kahit nagkaroon tayo ng import ban ay maganda ang supply ng bigas natin. At kahit binagyo tayo, ine-expect natin na naging maganda ang harvest din natin hanggang sa katapusan ng taon," DA spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa said in an interview. "Dahil maganda ang ine-expect nating harvest at malapit na rin ang susunod na harvest season na March-April plus may papasok na import na, mas lalong tatatag ang presyo ng ating bigas and at the same time 'yung supply," he added.

De Mesa said the record rice harvest in 2023 may even be surpassed this year. "May posibilidad na malagpasan natin 'yung 2023 record harvest. But of course we have to wait 'yung official na datos para du'n sa harvest," he said. De Mesa added that the record harvest in 2023 was 20.06 million metric tons. "May mga bagyo rin noon kaya lang hindi ganu'n kalalakas. Unlike noong 2024, 'yung sumunod na taon, na may naranasan tayong El Niño na matindi and then may La Niña na talagang sobrang lalakas at dami ng bagyo," he said. "Kaya 'yung 2024, nag-drop nang 1 million MT ang ating harvest ng rice kaya lumaki rin ang importation last year," de Mesa said.

The DA spokesperson said the closing rice inventory of the country is expected to last for 80 to 85 days on the low end of the target, or a little over 100 days on the high end of the target. The country's daily consumption is at around 37,000 metric tons, de Mesa said.

De Mesa also said the country will again import rice in January. "Mag-open na rin tayo ng importation by January. Depende du'n sa lalabas na datos kung gaano karami 'yung magiging importation, hanggang magkaroon ulit tayo ng harvest by March or April," he said. De Mesa said currently, only locally produced rice are available since the rice import ban took effect in September. "Ang pagtaya namin, noon pa lang mid-November, halos wala nang imported talaga," he said.

De Mesa said premium imported rice, if still available, goes for around P50 per kilo, while special imported rice such as jasmine and Japanese rice varieties may be around P60 per kilo. Locally produced premium rice meanwhile currently retails for around P50 per kilo, he added. "Dapat mas mababa (ang imported) pero 'yun ay depende kung magkano ang nakukuha sa source country kagaya ng ginagawa natin sa sibuyas," de Mesa said.

The government will monitor the rice importation per month to ensure that the country does not import more than what is needed which could lead to farmgate prices going down, he added. "Ngayon tinitingnan ang imbentaryo natin. Kasi kagaya dati biglang dumami ang importation, umabot ng isang buwan more than 550,000 MT na kung saan dapat on average nasa mga 300. Mataas na yung 350,000 MT," de Mesa said. "So titingnan ang pagpasok kada buwan para masigurado na hindi magko-cause ng sobrang dami na biglang babagsak ang presyo ng farmgate especially kung padating na ang harvest season natin na March-April," he added.

Current farmgate prices of palay are at P17 to P18 per kilo, de Mesa said. "Hindi maiwasan na may mga ganu'n pa rin [mga trader na nambabarat ng mga magsasaka] lalo na du'n sa mga liblib na lugar kaya nga gustong imungkahi ni Sec. Kiko ay 'yung mga pondo na ilalaan sa fertilizer ay ilagay na lang na pandagdag sa pambili ng palay ng National Food Authority," he said. "Kasi mas priority ng ating mga magsasaka na mas maganda ang presyo. Kung mabibili ng NFA, kahit hanggang 20% ng total harvest natin, malaking bagay 'yun sa paglalatag ng magandang presyo ng farmgate price ng palay. Sa ngayon kasi, ang kaya lang i-accommodate ng NFA ay nasa 5% ng total production natin," de Mesa said.

Source: gmanetwork.com