DA urges importation of 500,000 MT of rice amid El Niño

The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Wednesday urged the importation of 500,000 metric tons (MT) of rice from November 2023 to January 2024 to ensure rice supply amid the El Niño phenomenon.

Undersecretary Mercedita Sombilla said that some 200,000 hectares of rice area might not be cultivated during the El Niño, resulting in lost production of about 500,000 MT of rice.

Just last week, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. assured Filipinos that there was enough rice stock even after the El Niño phenomenon next year.

He made the remark following a meeting with industry players led by the Private Sector Advisory Council and the Philippine Rice Stakeholders Movement (PRISM) in Malacañang.

Marcos currently sits as the agriculture secretary.

“In preparation for the El Niño, nakita natin ‘yung trend, pababa ‘pag December ang production natin and inventory kasi nga paubos na ulit ang ating inventory at papasok na tayo ulit sa production period. Kung tuloy-tuloy po ang El Niño, we are recommending na sana ma-bridge din natin ‘yun through imports,” she said.

(We have seen the trend that our production and inventory go down in December because our inventory at that time is low and we’re only about to enter another production period. If El Niño continues, we are recommending that we can also bridge that through imports.)

“That’s why we’re recommending around 500,000 metric tons to arrive between November and January so that we would be ensured of sufficient supply during that time [if ever the El Niño advances and affects our rice production areas],” she added.

Sombilla also recommended the private sector import 300,000 MT by the end of August, and another 300,000 MT by the first to the second week of September as the harvest season will begin in October.

DA Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban said Friday that the Philippines has opened talks with Vietnam and India for the importation of hundreds of thousands of metric tons of rice to augment supply and decrease prices.

It was in July when state weather bureau PAGASA declared the start of the El Niño phenomenon in the Tropical Pacific, saying that its effects are now expected in the Philippines.

PAGASA also said that the current El Niño is "weak" but shows signs of reaching a "strong" level by November to January 2023.

By the end of December, 36 provinces are expected to experience a dry spell while two provinces are forecast to experience drought, which means three consecutive months of rainfall conditions with over 60% reduction from the average rainfall or five consecutive months of rainfall conditions with 21% to 60% reduction, according to PAGASA. —NB, GMA Integrated News