After scrapping import plan, DA promises enough rice supply despite El Niño threat
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture assured the public on Tuesday that the country’s rice supply remains sufficient amid concerns about a possible rice shortage from the looming El Niño phenomenon.
While the El Niño Watch of the country’s weather bureau has raised concerns about the country’s remaining stock of rice, a study by the DA – National Rice Program estimated that the ending stock of palay for the first quarter of 2023 — about 5.66 million metric tons — is good for 51 days, according to the DA.
This figure includes 3.12 million metric tons of locally produced rice, 1.77 million metric tons of beginning stock, and 774,050.44 metric tons of imported rice, according to reports from the Bureau of Custom and the DA – Bureau of Plant Industry.
"We should sustain the rice needs of our country, which is pegged at 37,000 metric tons a day," DA Assistant Secretary Rex Estoperez said in a mix of English and Filipino.
The DA said that it is also expecting a surge in the estimated rice supply once harvests from March and April are taken into account and that it remains ready to address possible changes once El Niño starts.
A DA undersecretary announced on Monday that the National Food Authority (NFA) has dropped plans to import 330,000 metric tons of rice — a move that was met with criticism by farmers' groups who slammed the government for prioritizing foreign rice producers instead of domestic farmers.
Farmers' organization Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) welcomed the DA's decision to forego its planned import of rice for buffer stocking.
The group also called on the DA and the NFA to source a higher volume of palay from local farmers through a number of measures, including increasing the palay-buying price to match the price of traders.
It also urged the DA and the NFA to buy palay from farmers at a minimum price of P20 per kilo and to ease the requisites in buying palay.
The DA can fill the rice needs of the country through local procurement without imports, but only with "political will" on the part of the NFA to buy directly from local farmers, said former DA secretary and KMP chairperson Rafael Mariano.
Farmgate prices for dry palay on April 3 increased to P21.07 per kilo compared to last month’s P19.23, according to the DA.
A smaller price increase was observed for fresh palay, which went from P17.29 per kilo to P17.98.
While the dry season provides “better conditions for drying newly harvested palay,” the DA said that prices might go up depending on “any situational changes — for instance, the added value due to the high quality of dry palay.”
Estoperez said that the DA will be monitoring price changes during El Niño and that the national government could address these by considering expanding its own rice supply. “But we will check first, because we have to look at the consumer also,” he said.
The DA added that it will “thwart” agricultural smugglers and hoarders through intensified inspections, along with the Bureau of Customs, Philippine Coast Guard and other agencies.
It will also conduct traditional El Niño intervention programs, such as cloud seeding over the watersheds of affected reservoirs, provision of production support for crops, livestock and fisheries sub-sectors from pre- to post-El Niño, among others.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration announced the possibility of an El Niño phenomenon taking place from the third quarter of 2023 until 2024. — Cristina Chi