Manila: The Department of Agriculture (DA) is introducing a measure for quantitative restrictions on rice importers to support local rice producers.
According to Philippines News Agency, this initiative is being developed as the agency awaits the enactment of the proposed Rice Industry and Consumer Empowerment (RICE) Act.
In a recent interview, DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. highlighted that the quantitative restriction aims to ensure investments in the local rice industry. Importers will be required to purchase palay or bigas to qualify for import allocations. While the specific local procurement to import allocation ratio has not yet been determined, the DA plans to conduct initial trials by July, with full implementation targeted by the end of the year.
The system is designed to utilize a data-driven approach for rice importation and inventory, protecting local farmers from declining farmgate prices amid liberalized importation under the Rice Tariffication Law. It also aims to prevent profiteering and smuggling. Tiu Laurel is actively engaging with stakeholders and a newly formed Technical Working Group (TWG) for rice importation to ensure the initiative's success.
The DA emphasizes the importance of profitability for local farmers and seeks recommendations from the private sector to devise a solution beneficial to all parties involved. The effort requires comprehensive data from stakeholders on import deliveries, traders, millers, and market destinations.
The DA projects rice imports to range from 3.6 million metric tons (MMT) to 3.8 MMT in 2026, supporting local production and maintaining a buffer stock. This projection is a reduction from the 4.8 MMT imported in 2024 but slightly higher than the 3.38 MMT imported in 2025.
