According to a Department of Agriculture (DA) official, the government is planning to import 1.3 million metric tons of rice again.
DA Undersecretary Mercedita Sombilla told a press conference at the Palace that the planned rice importation will still take place.
“Mayroon kaming ini-schedule. We will be scheduling the importation. We have already, you know… remember nasa sanitary, phytosanitary, hindi ba. We have already something like 1.3 volume of applications that are already pending there,” Sombilla said.
“So, what we are going to be doing is to really encourage the private sector to get this [unclear] ‘no. I think the President will really have to do some discussions/consultations with the private sector so that, you know, for them to help us. I think we really need the help of the private sector in situations like these,” she added.
Meanwhile, Sombilla stated that the DA would double-check the estimates for the National Food Authority’s rice inventory, which is expected to last two days.
PH plans to import 1.3 million metric tons of rice
“I will have to talk, to discuss with them how they are coming up with that two days. But of course, really, their stocks really is very low,” Sombilla said.
“They will really need to beef up their stocks and there are some ways by which, you know, we have identified also for them to, you know, to help them beef up their stocks – and one of them is contract growing… yeah, one of them is contract growing ‘no so that ano na… targeted na kung—I mean, mayroon na silang pagkukuhanan ng buffer stocks nila [they will have a source for their buffer stocks],” she added.
According to the NFA’s report for the second quarter of 2023, the agency’s rice stock stockpile of 60,819.95 metric tons (MT) is “good to last two days,” based on a daily rice consumption rate of 679,670 bags or 33,983.5 MT.
According to the average daily sales of 26,085 bags, “the inventory is good to last for 47 days.”
“It should be noted that NFA’s inventory is only a part of the national rice inventory of the entire country,” the NFA report said.
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