DA rules out rice import ban amid El Niño risks

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) is firm on its decision not to impose a ban on rice imports despite surging shipment levels, arguing that the Philippines needs to build buffer stocks ahead of the expected impact of El Niño later this year.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said rice imports, which hit 3.3 million MT last week, must continue as drier conditions loom in November.

READ: PH rice imports seen rising on strong demand

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“There will be no import ban, definitely,” Tiu Laurel told reporters on Tuesday. “There is a big El Niño coming toward November or December. We have to have buffer stocks in preparation for December, January, February, March and April next year.”

The move follows farmers’ groups’ push for a 30-percent rice safeguard duty, citing oversupply and lower farmgate prices from excess imports.

Tiu Laurel, however, sought to allay concerns over the impact of imports on local farmers.

The DA chief said the government will expand NFA’s purchases to up to 500,000 MT of palay this year. To recall, the government has suspended rice imports from September to end-2025 to stabilize falling palay prices and help farmers sell at better rates.

Unlike last year’s near-full warehouses, Tiu Laurel said the NFA will clear stocks by September for the harvest. The NFA’s buying budget has also more than doubled to about P20 billion this year from P9 billion previously.

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Tiu Laurel said the NFA will buy wet palay at P21/kg and dry palay at P25–P27/kg. The DA sees no need, for now, to impose extraordinary measures on imported 5-percent broken rice, he added.

Still, he urged importers to shift to 25-percent broken rice to support local producers.

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“The request of the DA to rice importers is to stop importing 5-percent broken rice to help the local rice industry,” Tiu Laurel said.

In early June, the DA asked Malacañang to extend the P50-per-kilo suggested retail price for imported rice by 60 days. The proposal has been endorsed by the National Price Coordinating Council and now awaits President Marcos’ decision. /pai INQ