Ada Pelonia

The slide in international prices did not translate into more rice purchases for the Philippines, based on the latest government data which indicated that arrivals as of May 2 declined. 

Figures from the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) showed that rice import arrivals during the period reached 1.32 million metric tons (MMT), 21.33 percent lower than the 1.67 MMT recorded in the same period last year. 

However, BPI data showed that that inbound shipments of rice are starting to pick up, with arrivals reaching 417,626 in April from the monthly average of 395,536.90 MT recorded in the first quarter. 

Of the volume that arrived in the Philippines, 1.12 MMT came from Vietnam, which stood as the country’s top supplier. Thailand trailed behind as it accounted for 86,271.13 MT.

The Philippines also purchased rice stocks from other countries, such as Pakistan (71,125.68 MT), India (21,457.52 MT), and Myanmar (13,577 MT).

The agency has approved and issued 2,736 sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances (SPSICs) for the purchase of 2.27 MMT of imported rice.

DA officials had projected lower rice imports for this year on the back of an expected rebound in local palay output and improved weather conditions. 

In particular, Agriculture Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa said shipments will decline this year after arrivals of the food staple from other countries reached an all-time high of 4.8 MMT in 2024.

“The reasonable level of rice imports [this year is between] 3.8 MMT to 4 MMT,” De Mesa told reporters in a previous interview. 

The agency is targeting to produce 20.46 MMT of rice this year by improving yield. The Philippines’s rice harvest in 2023 reached a record 20.06 MMT.

Cheaper staple

Last March, the Department of Agriculture (DA) noted that India’s decision to lift its ban on the export of non-basmati rice contributed to the increase in global rice supply.

As a result, the DA said international rice prices dropped to their lowest levels in over two years, with some varieties settling below $380 per metric ton (MT).

In its report, the World Bank said international quotations for rice are expected to fall this year owing to ample global supply.

The World Bank projected that rice prices will drop by 29 percent in 2025, largely due to sufficient global stockpile and relaxed export restrictions by India, the world’s leading rice exporter.

“Global rice production in 2024-25 is expected to increase by 2 percent, with production in India—which accounts for about 40 percent of global exports—forecast to rise by 5 percent,” the international organization said in its recent commodities market outlook report.

It also expects rice quotations to remain stable next year as the slight rise in output tallies with the same level of growth in demand.

“Rice prices are projected to be stable in 2026 as preliminary estimates for the 2025-2026 season from the International Grains Council indicate that a small increase in global supply will be matched by a similar increase in consumption.”

This bodes well for the Philippines, the world’s top rice importer, which bought nearly 5 MMT of the food staple from other countries last year.

Published Date: May 12, 2025