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Imported rice arrivals slid by 7 percent to 2.17 million metric tons (MMT) in the first semester, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).

Agriculture Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa said inbound shipments of rice reached 2.17 MMT as of June 26. This was 163,000 metric tons (MT) lower compared to the 2.34 MMT recorded in the same period last year.

With this, the DA official made an assurance the country’s purchases of the staple grain would be below the 2024 record-high volume.

“It will be lower than last year’s 4.8 MMT,” De Mesa told reporters in a press briefing on Wednesday.

Based on the June 19 data from the Bureau of Plant Industry available on its website, 1.58 MMT of rice came from Vietnam, which maintained its spot as the country’s leading supplier. This was followed by Myanmar at 296,712.33 MT, dislodging Thailand as the second-largest supplier.

The Philippines also purchased rice from other countries, such as Thailand (125,171.33 MT), Pakistan (73,776.02 MT), and India (19,389.16 MT).

In addition, the agency approved and issued 3,386 sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances (SPSICs) for the purchase of 2.89 MMT of imported rice.

DA officials had projected that rice imports will decline this year due to the expected rebound in local palay production.

De Mesa had said the “reasonable” level of rice imports this year would range from 3.8 MMT to 4 MMT.

The Philippines is targeting to produce 20.46 MMT of rice this year, a figure that would surpass the record-high 20.06 MMT posted in 2023. The government intends to do this by improving yield.

Last year, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that paddy rice production fell by 4.8 percent to 19.087 MMT, from the 20.059 MMT recorded in 2023. Output in 2024 was even lower than the 19.96 MMT posted in 2021.

However, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) said the country’s rice imports could hit 5.4 MMT this year.

The international agency also said Philippine rice imports may again hit another record-high in 2026 despite the projected rebound in output.

The USDA said the country’s rice imports could reach 5.5 MMT next year, driven by the “growth in population, increased tourism, and continued importance as a staple.”

“The Philippines is expected to remain the largest global rice importer.”

Source : businessmirror