MANILA, Philippines – Rice imports in the Philippines hit a record high at 4.68 million metric tons (MT) in 2024, according to Department of Agriculture (DA) spokesperson Arnel de Mesa.
De Mesa, who was citing the figure from the Bureau of Plant Industry, attributed the higher rice import data to lower local production and lower tariffs.
The DA spokesperson said that local production of rice decreased from 20.06 million MT in 2023 to 19.3 million MT in 2024 due to El Niño and the consecutive storms that ravaged agricultural lands.
“[B]agamat tumaas ‘yung importasyon noong 2024, malaki naman ‘yung binaba ng lokal na produksyon (Even though importation rose in 2024, there was also a huge decrease in local production),” De Mesa said on Wednesday, January 8.
In 2023, the Philippines imported 3.6 million MT of rice. The country previously hit a record high in 2022, when it imported a total of 3.83 million MT.
The Philippine government lowered tariffs in 2024 in a bid to bring down prices. The move had been questioned by lawmakers months since its implementation. (READ: NEDA official admits tariff cut did not drive down rice prices)
The new record was not surprising given the lowering of tariffs and international prices, said Raul Montemayor, national manager of the Federation of Free Farmers Cooperatives.
“Imports during the second half [of 2024] were 70% more than imports during the same period in the preceding year,” Montemayor said.
He added that the Philippines imported “much more than our deficit this year, which will be reflected in a relatively high end-of-year stock level and carryover stock going into 2025.”
The surprising thing about this, he said, was retail prices remained high.
As of January 4, prices of imported special rice in Metro Manila ranged from P54 to P65 per kilo, while those of imported premium rice ranged from P52 to P60.
De Mesa said this could also mean that the reported figure reflects the actual number of imported rice due to less smuggling.
“This 4.7 could be also be reflective na hindi na or very limited na ‘yung smuggled rice at na-re-report na siya dahil wala na ngang insentibo, mababa na ‘yung taripa, at mahigpit na doon sa pagtingin doon sa [smuggling],” said De Mesa.
“Mas marami na ‘yung na-re-report din na imported na bigas.”
(This 4.7 figure could also reflect that there is no or very limited smuggled rice, and it’s being reported because there are no more incentives, the tariffs are low, and we’re strict in checking for smuggling. There is more imported rice being reported.)
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) told lawmakers in late 2024 that rice smuggling was no longer a prevailing problem.
BOC Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio had said then that if there were smugglers, rice prices would be lower.
For 2025, De Mesa said they expect local production to bounce back given that rice fields will not suffer from El Niño this year. – Rappler.com
