By Manila Bulletin Newsroom

Country’s rice stockpiles expanded in March compared with a year earlier, driven by the recovery in government-held reserves and steady gains in household holdings, according to the latest data from the Philippine Statistics Agency (PSA).

Total rice inventory stood at 1.88 million metric tons as of March 1, a 16.5 percent increase from the 1.61 million metric tons recorded during the same period in 2025.

According to the PSA, the growth was bolstered by a 34.9 percent surge in stocks held at National Food Authority (NFA) depositories, while household and commercial inventories rose 15.9 percent and 6.9 percent, respectively.

Despite the year-on-year gains, the national rice supply saw a sequential contraction as the country moved further away from the peak harvest season.

Total stocks fell 11.1 percent from the 2.11 million metric tons reported in February. This month-on-month decline was primarily led by the commercial sector, which saw a 28.7 percent drop in volume, and a 4.1 percent dip in NFA holdings. Household stocks bucked the monthly trend, posting a marginal increase of one percent.

The current inventory composition showed that households remain the primary keepers of the national staple, accounting for 48.4 percent of the total. The commercial sector follows with a 30.1 percent share, while government depositories under the NFA hold the remaining 21.5 percent.

In the corn market, national inventories reached 465,860 metric tons as of March 1, a 26.4 percent jump from the 368,510 metric tons available a year ago.

The PSA noted that the annual improvement was broad-based, with household corn stocks rising 31 percent and commercial holdings increasing 25.6 percent.

However, the corn sector mirrored the rice sector’s monthly downward trajectory. Total corn inventories slumped 18.7 percent compared with February’s level of 573,040 metric tons.

The commercial sector, which controls the vast majority of the country’s corn supply, saw its stocks dwindle by 20.5 percent over the month. Household inventories also retreated, falling 6.9 percent from February levels.

The commercial sector dominates the corn landscape, holding 85.1 percent of the total national inventory, while households account for just 14.9 percent.

Published Date: April 2, 2026