Philippines says supply stable, seeks farmer support

The Philippines’ agriculture department said rice supply is secure for 2026 even as it seeks 30 billion pesos in added aid for farmers and fisherfolk. (gmanetwork.com) Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said on April 14 that the department wants 20 billion pesos for farm inputs and 10 billion pesos for fisherfolk as fuel and fertilizer costs rise with the conflict in the Middle East. He said the agency had already rolled out a 10 billion peso assistance package within days of the latest oil-price shock. (da.gov.ph) Laurel said projections of a 20 percent drop in palay output were a “worst-case scenario,” not the department’s base case, and said National Food Authority warehouses are nearly full after a solid domestic harvest. He also said India and Vietnam are in peak harvest season, adding to global availability. (da.gov.ph) The government is trying to do two things at once: keep rice cheap for buyers and keep palay prices high enough for growers to plant the next crop. That balancing act has shaped rice policy since tariffs were cut and imports surged in 2024. (da.gov.ph) Department of Agriculture data said the Philippines imported a record 4.8 million metric tons of rice in 2024, about 33 percent more than in 2023. The department said that wave of imports pushed palay farmgate prices down to around 14 to 16 pesos per kilo in 2025, with a September 2025 low of about 15.80 pesos. (da.gov.ph; da.gov.ph) To limit that pressure, Manila paused rice imports from September to December 2025, then prepared a narrower 2026 import program. The Department of Agriculture said imports this year would likely range from 3.6 million to 3.8 million metric tons, below 2024 levels, while tariffs would adjust under Executive Order 105 from a 15 percent floor up to 35 percent depending on world prices. (da.gov.ph; gmanetwork.com) At the consumer end, the subsidized 20-peso rice program is expanding in local pilots. The Department of Agriculture and Makati City launched sales on April 14 for 750 people in vulnerable groups, including senior citizens, solo parents, persons with disabilities and Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program beneficiaries. (pna.gov.ph) On Caubian islet in Lapu-Lapu City, local officials said 90 sacks were delivered for sale at 20 pesos per kilo to 429 beneficiaries, including 266 senior citizens, 122 Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program members, four solo parents and 37 persons with disabilities. City officials said the deliveries on April 14 were funded through local government support and done with Food Terminal Incorporated. (sunstar.com.ph) The rice itself has become part of the political argument. Laurel said claims that imported grain is being used in the 20-peso program are “totally not true” at this stage and said current stocks come from National Food Authority purchases from local farmers, though he left open the possibility of using imports later if domestic production contracts sharply. (da.gov.ph) For now, the department’s message is that there is enough rice in the system, but not enough cushion for the people producing it. The next test is whether added subsidies and tighter import management can hold down retail prices without sending farmgate prices sliding again. (gmanetwork.com; da.gov.ph)