By Stephanie Sevillano
MANILA – The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Wednesday assured the public that the country’s rice supply will remain stable even if the government extends the import ban until year-end.
In a phone interview, DA spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa said the country’s ending rice stock inventory will be sufficient despite potential production losses from recent weather disturbances.
According to the National Rice Program, the country’s local palay production outlook for 2025 ranges from 20.29 million metric tons (MT) to 20.51 million MT, based on the Philippine Statistics Authority’s (PSA) analysis of standing crops.
“Regardless kung lower end ng projection ng Rice Program, 20.2 million metric tons harvest ng palay or ‘yung (Regardless if it’s on the lower end of the Rice Program projection at 20.2 million MT or the) upper end, which is 20.5 million metric tons, with the proposed extension ng import ban up to December, we can see ‘yung ating ending inventory ng ating (that the ending inventory of our) rice at 3.2 million is sufficient to last for 85 days,” he told the Philippine News Agency.
The lower-end projection already factors in agricultural damage from various weather disturbances, which typically result in annual rice production losses ranging from 500,000 MT to 600,000 MT.
To date, the DA has recorded 278,919 MT of palay losses due to recent typhoons, monsoon rains, and volcanic activity since January.
If the rice import halt remains only until October, the Philippines will have a higher ending stock of 3.9 million MT, sufficient for 103 days, de Mesa explained.
Moreover, if the extension lasts only until the end of November, rice stocks will be good for 94 days at 3.5 million MT, while an extension until the end of December will leave a year-end inventory good for 85 days.
“This is a healthy ending inventory. So okay ‘yun, wala tayong problema sa ating nakikitang (that’s okay, we are not seeing any problem with our) stocks,” de Mesa said.
The DA official added that extending the import ban also aims to support local farmers during the peak harvest season and stabilize farmgate prices.
He noted that imported rice arrivals reached 3.5 million MT, exceeding the required 2.7 million MT or roughly 300,000 MT of monthly demand from January to September.
Meanwhile, the DA plans to reimpose a similar import restriction by February 2026, after a one-month lifting in January, to protect local producers during the dry harvest season.
“Our dry season harvest usually peaks from March to April, but some start as early as February. That’s why the recommendation is to impose an import ban again during the dry season harvest,” de Mesa said. (PNA)
