Rice import ban extension readied

The ban on rice importations will be extended beyond 2 November to support local farmers and stabilize the price of palay.

“In support of our farmers, President Marcos Jr. is pushing for a longer rice import ban,” Presidential Communications Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in a press briefing.

The two-month import suspension was part of the administration’s commitment to uphold the welfare of rice farmers.

“This also aims to stabilize the price of palay in the market and assist Filipino farmers during the harvest season,” Castro said.

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

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

DA prices dipped

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

The DA had earlier proposed a gradual increase to 25 percent from the current 15 percent import tariff on rice, but this was put on hold as part of the administration’s calibrated response alongside the two-month import halt.