Marcos orders extension of rice import ban to aid farmers

Lade Jean Kabagani·27 September 2025, 11:58 am·1 min read

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TRIBUNE-men-carrying-sacks — LOOK: Contracted laborers load sacks of rice along Dagupan Street in Manila on Monday, 9 September 2024. Farmers' groups argue that the recent increase in the price of rice from Vietnam, which now stands at $620 per metric ton, has made the anticipated P7 per kilo decrease in rice prices for October unattainable. They point out that the price of rice has risen by $40 from $580 per metric ton. According to Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura Chair Rosendo So, Executive Order 62, signed on 20 June, 2024, aimed at reducing tariffs on rice, has primarily benefited Vietnamese farmers, who raised their prices following the imposition of a 15% duty on imported grain.

Malacañang said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has ordered the extension of the country’s rice import ban beyond 2 November to support local farmers and stabilize the price of palay in the market.

“Bilang suporta sa ating mga magsasaka, mas mahabang rice import ban isinusulong ni Pangulong Marcos Jr. (In support of our farmers, President Marcos Jr. is pushing for a longer rice import ban),” Presidential Communications Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Atty. Claire Castro said in a press briefing.

She said the directive extends the two-month import suspension, originally set from 1 September to 2 November, as part of the administration’s commitment to uphold the welfare of rice farmers.

“Layunin din nitong i-stabilize ang presyo ng palay sa merkado at alalayan ang mga Pilipinong magsasaka sa panahon ng ani (This also aims to stabilize the price of palay in the market and assist Filipino farmers during the harvest season),” Castro added.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. earlier confirmed that the President instructed the Department of Agriculture (DA) to prepare the necessary orders for the extension.

The DA explained that both the import suspension and the increase in rice tariffs are part of measures to shield local farmers from depressed farmgate prices caused by the influx of cheaper imported rice.

Since the imposition of the import freeze last September 1, palay prices briefly improved from as low as P8 per kilo to around P14 per kilo. However, the DA noted that prices have again dipped due to the peak harvest season and heavy rains affecting crop quality.

The government hopes the extended suspension will give farmers breathing space and ensure fairer returns for their harvest, while maintaining stability in rice supply and prices for consumers.

Ferdinand Marcos Jr.