DA assures no rice shortage, pushes for food security emergency due to high prices

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) assured the public on Saturday that there is no shortage of rice in the Philippines, despite rising concerns over food security.

According to DA Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa in an interview, the country has ample rice supply, and any potential food security emergency would only be triggered by a shortage or an extraordinary price hike. While the first condition doesn’t apply, he noted that the second—high rice prices—remains a concern, with prices still higher than expected.

Despite efforts to lower rice prices, such as tariff reductions and the Kadiwa market initiative, prices remain high. As of mid-January, normal rice costs between PHP37 and PHP53 per kilo in Metro Manila, while premium-class rice costs up to PHP65. In response, the DA is pressing for a "food security emergency" declaration by the end of January, as local prices remain high despite declining global costs.

In addition to addressing high prices, the DA is asking for the return of rice-importing powers to the National Food Authority (NFA), notably the ability to regulate and interfere in the market without the need for an emergency declaration. The DA is also exploring a new method of classifying rice imports based on the degree of breakage in the grains, which might affect pricing. Meanwhile, Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel has proposed a hybrid tariff on rice to further reduce prices.