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RICE. Workers unload bags of rice from a truck at a warehouse on Dagupan Street in Divisoria, Manila, on February 3, 2025.
Rappler
As of March 13, the Philippines imported a total of 641,000 metric tons of rice — almost half of the amount in nearly the same period in 2024
MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Agriculture (DA) reported lower rice imports in the first two-and-a-half months of 2025 compared to nearly the same period last year.
As of March 13, the country imported 641,000 metric tons (MT) rice, around half of what was imported in the first quarter of 2024 at almost 1.2 metric tons.
“There was a huge number of imported rice that entered last year. There’s the expectation that local harvest this year will be good,” said DA spokesman Arnel de Mesa in a press briefing on Wednesday, March 19.
“We can see that importations are adjusting,” he added, citing preliminary data from the Bureau of Plant Industry.
This January, the Philippines imported 277,000 MT of rice, in February 267,000 MT, and midway through March, another 96,000 MT. In comparison, the Philippines recorded 430,000 MT of imported rice in January 2024, 342,000 MT in February, and 415,000 MT in March.
The agriculture department cited agricultural economist Samarendu Mohanty who attributed stabilizing rice prices to policy shifts in India and the Philippines.
Policies Mohanty mentioned are India’s removal of the import ban on non-Basmati white rice, and the Philippines’ maximum suggested retail price on imported rice plus efforts to crack down on hoarding and profiteering.
“The collective impact of these synchronized policy changes by two key players in the rice market, with India as a major exporter and the Philippines as a significant importer, resulted in a harmonized transformation of market dynamics,” Mohanty wrote.
In 2024, the Philippines hit a record-high 4.8 million metric tons of rice imports. After the El Niño climate phenomenon in 2024, the government forecast better palay output in 2025 at 20.4 million metric tons. – Rappler.com
Quotes translated to English for brevity.
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