Rice supply enough amid import halt

THE PALACE assured the public that the country will have enough rice despite the 60-day suspension of imports beginning on Sept. 1, pointing to local harvests and tighter government monitoring as support.

Palace Press Officer Clarissa A. Castro said in a press briefing on Wednesday, the Department of Agriculture (DA) does not expect major supply issues, citing the ongoing harvest season and the agency’s weekly monitoring of rice stocks across the country.

“According to the DA, they will conduct price monitoring to enforce the maximum suggested retail price,” she said in Filipino.

Although some stakeholders have raised concerns that the suspension might lead to shortages, Ms. Castro said the DA maintains that there will be no disruption in supply.

The DA also committed to tighter enforcement of suggested retail prices, along with weekly inspections to monitor any potential attempts at price manipulation.

These measures follow President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s order to suspend rice imports for 60 days starting Sept. 1 to protect local farmers amid low palay prices.

Meanwhile, Mr. Marcos ordered the auction of 100,000 metric tons of locally produced rice this week as part of efforts to stabilize supply and strengthen food security. This will be implemented by the DA through the release of 1.2 million bags of rice via public auction.

Ms. Castro, said the floor price of rice is expected to range between P25 and P28 per kilo, depending on the age of the grains. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana