The price of the 25-percent broken rice variety sold under the government's Rice-for-All program (RFA25) will drop from P40 to P38 per kilogram starting Friday, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. announced Thursday.

The price reduction precedes the implementation of the maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) for imported rice, which will be lowered to P58 per kilo for 5-percent broken rice in Metro Manila markets starting Monday, 20 January.

Laurel said the price measure will be reviewed monthly to reflect fluctuations in global market prices and tariff rates, with plans to extend the program to other key cities nationwide.

He added that if imported rice prices exceed the MSRP, the Department of Agriculture (DA) will implement a stricter SRP framework with fines and penalties for violations.

The DA's SRP framework includes a nominal profit margin of about P10 per kilogram above the landed cost of imported rice, excluding specialty varieties like malagkit, Japanese, and black rice, the Agri chief explained.

Meanwhile, if global rice prices remain stable, a further reduction in the MSRP could be expected after a review in February.