Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. secured firm commitments from rice millers and importers to support local farmers, with traders assuring the continued purchase of palay at no less than P17 per kilo for wet and P21 per kilo for dry, depending on quality, as the government fine-tunes rice imports to stabilize supply without undermining farmgate prices.
In a meeting with industry stakeholders on Friday, millers from key rice producing and trading areas shared updates on current market conditions and inventory movements, noting that stocks are tight as the industry transitions toward the incoming harvest season. Milling activities in several areas now largely dependent on newly harvested palay.
Harvesting has started in parts of Nueva Ecija and Nueva Vizcaya, with more areas expected to enter harvest by February, including Pangasinan, Ilocos, Bulacan, and La Union. Large harvest volumes are projected to come in by mid-March, with milling activity expected to increase further by April.
With palay prices firm due to seasonal supply condition, the DA consulted importers on appropriate rice imports volumes for February to help stabilize retail prices while ensuring farmgate prices remain protected as the main harvest approaches.
Importers presented varying estimates on the volume of rice that could enter the country to temper price pressures. Despite the differing views, traders from Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, and Pangasinan assured the DA they will continue to buy palay at no less than P17 for wet and P21 for dry, even as imports arrive.
Secretary Tiu La
urel was firm on the government’s position. “Farmer prices are non-negotiable. Whatever import volume we agree on, farmers must be protected,” he said, stressing that the administration’s priority is to prevent farmgate prices from collapsing during the peak harvest.
He also reiterated that the NFA will not compete with private traders , provided that buying price remain at or above agreed minimum levels. The Secretary added rice tariffs will not be raised until February and that final operational details will be carefully managed to avoid unnecessary market speculation.
Following the consultations, the DA indicated that an initial import volume of about 300,000 MT is being considered for February, subject to further to continuing review based on market developments. Importers may begin applying for sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances, with shipments expected to arrive by early February.
Tiu Laurel said the DA will continue to balance imports with its core mandate of protecting farmer incomes while ensuring stable rice supply and prices.
