MANILA — Department of Agriculture (DA) Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa on Monday, September 24, assured stable supply and price of rice in the country with the expected palay harvest and the arrival of the imported grain this year.
As promised by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., prices of the staple have started to drop, De Mesa said during a Malacanang press briefing.
The DA expects to harvest 20 million metric tons this year. He said the expected 400 to 600 thousand metric tons in losses every year are within the limit. The effects of the recent typhoons resulted in losses of about 420,000 metric tons.
“And iyong ating import natin nasa three million metric tons na. So, in terms sa supply, maganda iyong expectation natin iyong ating projection. Sa presyo naman, nakita na natin mayroon na tayong PhP42 sa imported rice, ang local natin is PhP45,” De Mesa said.
“So, iyong coming from PhP50 na mataas na presyo, iyong pangako ng ating Pangulo na nagsisimula ng bumaba iyong pagbaba ng presyo ng bigas, nararamdaman na natin ngayon. At doon sa projection din ni (DA) Secretary Kiko (Francisco Tiu Laurel), by October ay magkakaroon na rin talaga ng significant changes hanggang January na presyo ng bigas,” he said.
De Mesa said the DA is working with the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) for the release of 888 containers, or about 23 million kilos or 23,000 metric tons of rice which are overstaying at the ports.
This is only about 0.75 percent of the total imported rice that entered the country. Data from the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) said about 3,093,000 metric tons arrived in the country.
“At dahil ngayon ay magha-holiday season, alam natin, historically speaking, karamihan ng imported na bigas ay dumarating din every fourth quarter,” De Mesa said. (PND)