Marcos: PH has enough rice stock even after El Niño

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. assured Filipinos that there is enough rice stock even after the El Niño phenomenon next year.

Marcos said this after meeting with industry players led by the Private Sector Advisory Council and the Philippine Rice Stakeholders Movement (PRISM) in Malacañang on Tuesday.

“The rice situation is manageable and stable. There is enough rice for the Philippines up to and after the El Niño next year,” Marcos said in a press release issued Wednesday.

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.

During the meeting, officials from the Department of Agriculture (DA) and PRISM presented to the President the rice supply outlook for the country until the end of 2023.

According to DA Undersecretary Merceditas Sombillo, there is enough rice stock even with the low scenario following the assumption of a maintained level of production.

She said the projected stock by the end of 2023 is 1.96 million metric tons (MMT), which is enough to last for 52 days.

Sombillo also said the ending stock projection based on the data from the Philippine Statistics Authority which presents an even better scenario of 2.12 MMT rice stock by the end of the year, which would last for 57 days.

Last month, Marcos said the government has started its preparations for the possible impact of the El Niño phenomenon in the country.

Among the agencies tapped for the preparation include the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Agriculture, Department of Public Works and Highways, and the National Irrigation Administration. —VAL, GMA Integrated News