THE Cabinet-level Tariff and Related Matters Committee met last week to deliberate on the government’s extended deferment of rice imports and the proposed farmgate price for palay, with its recommendations expected to be submitted to the Economic Development Council (EDC) by the first week of November, the Palace said on Monday.
“They will submit their recommendations to the EDC, and we’ll have to wait and see what their final recommendation will be,” Palace Press Officer Clarissa A. Castro told a Palace briefing in Filipino.
The Marcos administration earlier suspended rice importation to stabilize domestic supply and temper retail prices amid concerns from both farmers and consumers.
The government is also weighing adjustments to farmgate prices to ensure fair returns for producers while managing inflation risks.
The Department of Economy, Planning, and Development is currently evaluating a proposal to open a one-month rice import window in January, followed by a reimplementation of an import freeze from February through April next year.
The plan comes amid pressure to balance farmer protection — with palay farm-gate prices falling year on year — and consumer supply stability in a sector liberalized under the Rice Tariffication Law.
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