NUMBER ONE RICE IMPORTER

LOOK: Workers load premium rice onto a truck at a rice dealer’s center in Dagupan Street in Divisoria Market on Monday, 22 January 2024, as the Philippines is projected to remain the number one global rice importer — taking a record 3.8 million tons — in 2024, followed by China, Indonesia, the European Union, Nigeria and Iraq, according to United States Department of Agriculture. The USDA pegs the Philippines’ importation of rice this year at 56,090.63 MT as of 11 January, coming mainly from Vietnam. | 📸 Joey Sanchez Mendoza