THE average wholesale price of well-milled rice in April surged to its highest level on record, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
Preliminary data from the PSA showed that the average wholesale price of well-milled rice in April jumped by 21.2 percent to P52.05 per kilo from P42.94 in the same period in 2025.
Historical data from the PSA showed that the latest figure was also the highest level since the time it started monitoring the commodity in 2010.
The fastest increase was recorded in Soccsksargen (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos), where prices soared by 42.2 percent to P52.91 per kilo last month, from P37.2 per kilo in the same period a year ago.
Meanwhile, the average wholesale price of regular milled rice rose by 23.2 percent to P47.24 per kilo in April, from P38.33 per kilo in the same period last year.
The latest regular milled rice price is the highest in two years and two months, or since the P47.69 per kilo recorded in February 2024, according to PSA data.
The fastest increase in the wholesale price of regular milled rice was recorded in Central Visayas, where the staple’s price surged 43.5 percent to P48.68 per kilo, from P33.92 per kilo in the previous year.
On a monthly basis, the average wholesale price of well-milled rice and regular milled rice were also 2.9 and 4.1 percent higher than the P50.57 and P45.36 per kilo recorded in March, respectively.
The latest retail price of local regular milled rice ranges from P42 to P43 per kilo, while that of well-milled rice stood at P48 and P50 per kilo.
The Philippines and Vietnam recently agreed on a one-year arrangement for 1.5 million metric tons (MMT) of rice to ensure constant entry of shipments through April 2027.
This, as Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said rising regional demand exacerbated by the Middle East crisis and potential production concerns from another El Niño event have made stable imports a priority.
“Securing import volumes until next April is crucial amid geopolitical uncertainties and climate risks,” Tiu Laurel said, stressing the importance of ample supply to stabilize prices.
As the country’s national staple, the DA said rice weighs heavily in the basket of consumer goods that determine inflation, which surged to a three-year high 7.2 percent in April.
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