RICE imports as of end-November were lower than the volume shipped a year earlier.

Inbound shipments totaled 3.03 million metric tons (MT) as of November 30, Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) data showed, down some 14 percent from the year-earlier 3.5 million MT.

For November alone, rice imports totaled 196,834.15 MT. Imports peaked in April at 516,895.173 MT.

Vietnam remained the country’s top source of rice, having provided 2.68 million MT and accounting for 88.6 percent of total imports.

Thailand followed with 161,990.67 MT, Myanmar with 127,818 MT and Pakistan with 34,625.21 MT. India also shipped 13,734.79 MT of rice.

The remaining volume, 6,713.12 MT, was shared by Cambodia, China, Japan, Taiwan, Italy and Spain.

Meanwhile, BPI data also showed that the agency approved about 4,186 sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances (SPSICs) from January to November.

From November 1-16, the BPI approved 604 SPSICs with a corresponding import volume of 484,379.79 MT of rice.

To ensure compliance and proper use of permits, the department has shortened the effectivity of SPSICs. The Department of Agriculture (DA) has said that this will ensure enough supply of rice in the market.

In a December 4 memorandum circular, the DA said that “the actual product/consignment must be shipped out within 30 days from the date the sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance is issued, regardless of the country of origin.”

Traders previously had up to 60 days from the date of permit issuance to ship in products from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations member countries, except Myanmar, and 90 days days for those coming from Myanmar and other countries.

The DA said the rule change was aligned with a thrust to ensure enough supplies and buffer stocks of the staple.

Published Date: December 11, 2023