National Price Coordinating Council declares ''food security emergency for rice''
A resolution urging the Department of Agriculture (DA) to declare a “food security emergency for rice” was approved by the National Price Coordinating Council (NPCC) in principle Thursday despite the DA's claims of sufficient supply of rice which led prices to decline.
Trade Secretary Cristina Roque, the council chairman, said the declaration “food security emergency for rice” would allow the National Food Authority (NFA) to release buffer stock rice to stabilize local prices.
Roque said "the NFA would replace the released stocks with locally-produced rice to support Filipino farmers."
Agriculture Secretary Francis Tiu Laurel noted NFA warehouses are full with 300,000 MMT of rice.
Based on the latest price monitoring of DA in markets in Metro Manila, the weekly average retail price for well-milled rice is at P46.61 per kilogram (kg), while regular milled rice is at P42.19 per kg from January 6 to 11, 2025.
During the period, average retail price for imported well-milled rice is P47.37 per kg, while for imported regular milled, it is at P42.37 per kg.
Laurel said prices remain high despite the implementation of Executive Order No. 62, which lowered the tariff for imported rice from 35 percent to 15 percent. One kilo of jasmine rice costs P58 a kilo in Manila markets.
However, in a radio interview last Saturday, DA spokesman and Assistant Secretary Arnel De Mesa said that the possible declaration of a food security emergency is no longer part of the government's agenda as the price of rice in has started to decline.
"One of the good things that we see is the huge reduction in the price of rice across the different types. Even the price of premium, special and well milled rice has started to go down," he said.
"Until we reach the next harvest (season). We do not have a supply shortage in terms of rice. So the two possible scenarios may not be present for the declaration of a Food Security Emergency." he added.
In a press conference in Malacanang last week, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin emphasized how the prices of agricultural commodities including rice increased since he was appointed as Cabinet secretary.
Under the Rice Tariffication Law, NFA’s role is limited to procuring palay from local farmers and holding buffer stocks. It cannot regulate rice trading or directly sell rice to the public but declaring a food security emergency would temporarily expand its capabilities.
Laurel also stressed the broader economic benefits of affordable rice prices, noting their impact on inflation and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ interest rate policies.
“Even if you don’t eat rice, lower rice prices help stabilize our economy,” he said.
The NPCC stressed the urgency of stabilizing prices of rice to protect consumers and farmers as it accounts for nearly 10 percent of Filipino household budgets, doubling to 20 percent for poorer families. Robina Asido/DMS
