Philippine rice inventories fell in August from a year earlier and the previous month as inflation for the staple climbed to 19.4%.

By Eileen Mencias

Philippine rice inventories fell in August from a year earlier and the previous month as inflation for the staple climbed to 19.4%.

Rice stocks stood at 2.18 million metric tons as of Aug. 1, down 6.3% from 2.32 million tons a year earlier and 13.3% below July’s 2.51 million tons, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.

Rice inflation accelerated to 19.4% in August from 17.1% in July, adding to pressure on household food budgets.

The sharpest annual decline in inventories was recorded at National Food Authority warehouses, where stocks fell 32.2%. Household inventories slipped 0.3%, while stocks held by commercial traders edged up 0.2%.

Compared with July, household stocks dropped 14.6%, commercial inventories fell 13.7% and NFA stocks declined 7.9%.

Commercial traders held 47.5% of the country’s rice inventories as of Aug. 1, followed by households at 38.4% and the NFA at 14.1%.

The data do not establish a direct link between declining inventories and higher rice prices.

Corn stocks, meanwhile, jumped 40.4% from a year earlier to 829,300 metric tons as of Aug. 1, but slipped 0.8% from July.

Published Date: September 7, 2026