Philippines to Import Record 4.7 Million Metric Tons of Rice Amid Natural Disasters

The Department of Agriculture (DA) announced on Tuesday that the Philippines might import up to 4.7 million metric tons of rice by year’s end, a record high driven by the impact of natural disasters on domestic rice production. As of December 12, actual rice imports have already reached 4.48 million metric tons, according to the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI). DA Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa explained that the increased imports are necessary due to a challenging year marked by numerous calamities, including El Niño, typhoons, and La Niña, as well as disease outbreaks. He noted that the market would need to adjust to the low production levels by supplementing with imports. The DA’s Rice Program anticipates a palay production of 19.3 million metric tons this year, down from last year’s 20.06 million metric tons. De Mesa stated that the projected import volume would ensure sufficient rice stocks until the next harvest season, providing a three-month supply into the following year. Additionally, the reduction of tariffs from 35 percent to 15 percent has led to more rice imports being officially declared, reducing smuggling incentives. Since the implementation of Executive Order 62 by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in June, rice import arrivals have consistently exceeded 100,000 metric tons monthly, peaking at 572,073 metric tons in October. For the first half of December, the BPI reported 158,988 metric tons of imported rice.