Latest news with #NationalFoodAuthority
GMA Network
21 hours ago
- Business
- GMA Network
DA assures sufficient supply for P20/kg rice program
The current rice stock of the National Food Authority (NFA) is enough to cover and sustain the P20 per kilogram subsidized rice program until the end of the year, the Department of Agriculture (DA) assured Saturday. Agriculture spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa gave the assurance in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB, saying that the current NFA inventory stands at 400,000 metric tons (MT), which is equivalent to 250 million kilograms of rice. The P20 per kilogram rice program is currently being rolled out to vulnerable sectors, and has been recently expanded to minimum wage earners. Households of qualified beneficiaries may purchase up to 30 kilograms of rice per month. "At 10 kilos per individual per month, so that's about 1.2 million kilos per month, Weng. Sa supply meron tayo sa NFA ngayon, currently at 400,000 metric tons. So ang initial na ina-allocate diyan ay 250,000 metric tons at puwede pang madagdagan 'yan. So 'yung 1.2 million kilos can easily be supplied nitong programa natin, assuming hanggang December, can easily be supplied," De Mesa said. (At 10 kilos per individual per month, that's about 1.2 millions in total per month. Our current NFA supply stands at 400,000 metric tons. So the initial allocation is 250,000 metric tons, and more can be added. So the 1.2 million kilos for our program, assuming until December, can be easily supplied.) Aside from the P20 per kilogram rice program, the DA has also rolled out rice at P29 to P33 per kilogram in Kadiwa stores. Meanwhile, De Mesa said the country has enough rice supply for its food requirements, even with the expected rains in the coming months. "Kasi yung last inventory natin [noong] December, puwede tayong itawid hanggang anihan; tapos nag-anihan tayo, so we have sufficient supply hanggang sa susunod na harvest in time sa ating lean months, normally mid-July, mid-July o mid-August," De Mesa said. (Our last inventory last December showed that we have enough until the harvest season; then we have harvests coming in, so we have sufficient supply until the next harvest in time for the lean months, normally mid-July or mid-August.) The Agriculture spokesperson's statement comes a day after the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) declared the start of the Habagat or southwest monsoon season in the country. According to De Mesa, the current rice import level for May 2025 stands at about 1.7 million to 1.9 million metric tons. "[The rice imports] plus 'yung harvest natin na ongoing sa ibang lugar, we have sufficient, at coming pa sa imbentaryo natin last December na ending inventory natin, we have sufficient rice," he said. (The rice imports plus the ongoing harvests in some areas allow us to have a sufficient supply. Plus with our ending inventory last December, we have sufficient rice.) — VDV, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
4 days ago
- Business
- GMA Network
DA recommends keeping 15% tariff on imported rice
Workers at the National Food Authority (NFA) warehouse in Quezon City stack sacks of rice that arrived from Vietnam, June 27, 2018. GMA News file photo The Department of Agriculture (DA) has recommended retaining the 15% tariff on imported rice to help mitigate the effects of inflation in local prices. In a public briefing on Wednesday, DA spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa said that they aim on lowering the effects of inflation throughout the agricultural industry. 'Napakaimportante yan sa buong ekonomiya ng ating bansa, at masigurado din natin na maging tuloy-tuloy ang mga programa natin na mas mababang presyo ng bilihin di lamang ng bigas kundi iba pang agricultural commodities,' said de Mesa. (It is very important to the economy of the entire country, and we should ensure that our programs to lower the prices of commodities will continue, not just rice but other agricultural commodities.) He further said that the majority of every P100 that poor Filipino families spend were used to purchase rice. 'Mga 25% kasi ng bigas na kino-consume natin ay imported. So, kung mapapanatili natin na mababa ang taripa at 15%, mas masisigurado natin na yung pangkalahatang presyo ng bigas ay mas magiging matatag at hindi makakaapekto sa price spikes kung magkakaroon man. Yung inflation overall natin, mapapanatili nating mababa kung mananatiling mababa presyo ng bigas,' he added. (About 25% of the rice we consume is imported. So, if we keep the tariff low at 15%, we can better ensure that the overall price of rice will remain stable and won't affect any price spikes. We can keep or overall inflation lower if we keep the price of rice low.) DA said that they consider the price of rice in international markets, exchange rates, logistics costs from the port of origin, and productivity in the country when considering rice tariffs. 'Napakaimportante lalo na sa panahon ng lean months, ay masigurado natin na yung imported na bigas ay maganda ang presyuhan para di maapektuhan din yung presyo ng local na supply natin. Yung timing is really important to make sure natin na mapapanatili natin na matatag ang presyuhan ng bigas,' he said. (It is very important, especially in the lean months, that we ensure that the price of important rice will not affect the price of our local supply. The timing is really important to make sure that we keep rice pricing stable.) Assistance programs by the government, such as the implementation of the P20-per-kilo rice programs, continue regardless of the tariffs. President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. ordered the lowering of imported rice tariffs from 35% to 15% on June 20, 2024. The decision faced backlash from several farmers' groups, who filed a petition for certiorari to declare the lowering of tariffs 'unconstitutional' and nullify the order. In December 2024, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) also said that the lowered tariffs did not affect or lower the price of imported rice. — BM, GMA Integrated News
South China Morning Post
29-04-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Philippines to slash rice prices in half to aid voters amid May election campaign
The Philippine government plans to sell some of its rice inventories at heavily subsidised prices in May as residents in the Asian archipelago turn out for midterm elections. Advertisement The state-owned National Food Authority will sell at least 370,000 tons of ageing kernels from its warehouses at about 20 pesos ($0.36) a kilogram, about half of current market prices, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jnr said at a press conference on Tuesday. The government wants to start subsidised sales this week, but may have to wait until after the May 12 vote depending on a ruling from the Commission on Elections, Laurel said. The programme will cost President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr 's government about 10 billion pesos (US$178 million) and is designed to help the poor, Laurel said. Vice-President Sara Duterte, a former Marcos ally who's considering a presidential run in 2028, has criticised the subsidies as a tool to boost the government's slate of candidates in the midterm polls. Rice is a staple in the Philippines, and households were badly hit when prices surged to a 15-year-high in 2024. Costs have been gradually falling this year as production improves, with output in the 2024-25 season expected to hit a record, according to the United Nations ' Food and Agriculture Organization. A worker carries a sack of rice inside the National Food Authority warehouse in Metro Manila. Rice is a staple in the Philippines, and households were badly hit when prices surged to a 15-year-high in 2024. Photo: Xinhua The Philippines is targeting production of 20.4 million tons of rough rice this year, up from 19.3 million in 2024. The Southeast Asian nation is likely to import 5.2 million tons of rice this year, down 1.9 per cent from a year ago, due to a forecast increase in local output and higher stock carry-over, US Department of Agriculture data show.
Bloomberg
29-04-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Philippines Plans to Start Subsidized Rice Sales in May
The Philippine government plans to sell some of its rice inventories at heavily subsidized prices in May as residents in the Asian archipelago turn out for midterm elections. The state-owned National Food Authority will sell at least 370,000 tons of aging kernels from its warehouses at about 20 pesos ($0.36) a kilogram, about half of current market prices, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said at a press conference Tuesday. The government wants to start subsidized sales this week, but may have to wait until after the May 12 vote depending on a ruling from the Commission on Elections, Laurel said.
South China Morning Post
16-02-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Southeast Asia's rice crisis is a ticking time bomb
Published: 4:30pm, 16 Feb 2025 In Southeast Asia, rice is more than just a food – it is the foundation of survival for almost 700 million people. But what happens when this lifeline begins to unravel? Climate change , economic pressures, limited arable land and water resources, and inefficient agricultural practices are threatening the region's rice production, putting the future of hundreds of millions at risk. The Philippines, a leading rice producer and the world's largest importer, is already feeling the strain. On February 3, Manila declared a food security emergency in response to skyrocketing domestic rice prices . In response, the National Food Authority will release 300,000 tonnes of rice to stabilise prices. The Philippines relies on imports despite its status as a major rice producer; imports covered more than a fifth of its domestic needs in 2023. This is because of shortfalls in production brought on by a range of issues including rising costs and extreme weather . Last year, rice imports hit a record 4.68 million tonnes, a 30 per cent year-on-year increase. About 75 per cent of imports came from Vietnam. The crisis in the Philippines reflects broader challenges across Southeast Asia, a region responsible for almost 30 per cent of global rice production. Thailand and Vietnam dominate the region's exports. Rice cultivation in Southeast Asia increasingly faces economic, political and climatic pressures. The global rice shortage surpassed 8.5 million tonnes in 2023 – the largest since 2004 – driving up prices and weighing on household budgets. The consequences are dire. Rice accounts for roughly 50 per cent of calorie intake in Southeast Asian diets, and agricultural production provides more than 10 per cent of the region's economy. Rising prices have heightened fears of a food crisis, threatening to deepen poverty, hunger and malnutrition.
