DA assures public of enough food supply despite El Niño impact
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. leads the “Bawat Barangay Makikinabang” event at the General Trias Sports Park on May 4, 2026. Yummie Dingding, PPA Pool/FileMANILA — The Department of Agriculture (DA) admitted that Super El Niño could result in lower yield of agricultural products, but it assured the public that there is enough food supply.
“Ang immediate impact niyan ay bababa yung yield natin, specifically for those areas na depende don sa tubig-ulan,” said DA spokesperson Arnel de Mesa.
“Kung makita n’yo yung P8.5 billion na damage report… karamihan noon ay corn na napinsala, dahil karamihan ng mga mais natin ay nakatanim sa mga rainfed areas,” he explained. “Pero may mga palayan din tayo. Actually, pinakamalaking production ng palay natin ay during this season.”
“Ngayon El Niño, ine-expect natin yung yield per unit hectare tataas kasi mainit, mas mataas yung photosynthetic activity,” he added. “However, ‘yung area nga, liliit. Kasi ‘yung karamihan rainfed areas maapektuhan, so yung general effect niyan, bababa yung yield.”
According to De Mesa, when the country was hit by very strong El Niño from 1997-1998, the agency recorded the highest drop in productivity and lost about 1.7 to 1.8 metric tons.
“Earlier projection natin ngayon was about 700,000 metric tons. Itinaas na yan sa 1 million metric tons. Again, depende sa severity, gaano tatagal itong El Niño at yung availability ng release ng tubig. Puwede pang tumaas yung losses natin. Again, hindi lang palay ang maapektuhan,” De Mesa explained.
But De Mesa believes there will be enough supply of food amid threats of Super El Niño.
“On the consumer side, actually hindi po namin nakikita na masyadong malaking problema. Ang mas tinitingnan namin yung welfare ng mga magsasaka at mga mangingisda na posibleng lubhang maapektuhan. Kasi on the consumer side, we have enough volume ng bigas, karne at ng iba po nating pangunahin coming from both the local at yung importation natin,” De Mesa said.
As of November 4, De Mesa said the country has about 80 to 90 days of rice inventory.
More than 4. 8 million metric tons of imported rice have also already arrived in the country. The balance of total importation of 5.5 million metric tons is expected to arrive until December.
Meanwhile, there is about 150 to 170 days of pork meat supply and 125 days of chicken supply, he said.