By TED CORDERO, GMA Integrated News

The Philippines is seen to have a sufficient supply of rice to meet the needs of the population until the start of the next harvest season in March 2024, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said Wednesday.

This developed as nearly half-a-million metric tons of rice imported by the private sector are due to arrive between December and early February next year in compliance with the agreement between Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. and holders of rice import permits, DA officer-in-charge for operations Undersecretary Roger Navarro said in a statement.

“We received reports that around 100,000 tons of imported rice has already arrived in the country. This is part of the 495,000 metric tons committed by import permit holders to Secretary Tiu Laurel,” Navarro said.

Combined with the local harvest in recent months, the DA official said that “the country will have sufficient supply of the national food staple until the next harvest which starts in March.”

He added that national rice consumption is around 36,000 metric tons per day, or around 1.08 million tons per month.

Moreover, Navarro said that a total 20,000 bags equivalent to 1,000 metric tons of rice delivered before Christmas Day was the first batch of the 40,000 bags of rice donated by Taiwan.

Within the last week of December and early January, Navarro said 75,000 metric tons of rice will arrive from India.

To recall, India banned the export of non-basmati white rice last July to stabilize domestic supply and prices.

In October, however, India approved the export of over 1 million metric tons to seven countries, with the Philippines getting over 28% of the export allocation.

“The 75,000 metric tons due in the coming weeks is part of the 295,000 metric tons of rice India has allocated to the Philippines,” Navarro said. — VDV, GMA Integrated News

Published Date: December 27, 2023