DA: Give rice instead of roses this Valentine's Day

The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Tuesday encouraged the public to give loved ones rice instead of roses this Valentine's Day.

''Ang dapat iregalo natin sa Valentine's Day sa ating mahal sa buhay, bigas, huwag na 'yung flowers kasi di makain 'yun. Matinik pati, kasi ang rosas matinik. Pero matamis ang bigas. Bigas pa more,'' said DA Undersecretary Roger Navarro at the sidelines of a Palace press briefing.

The DA had emphasized that the Philippines had an adequate supply of rice that would last throughout the 1st half of 2024.

According to DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., the supply would come from recent imports and the expected rice harvest this March and April.

This year, the Philippines was projected to import more rice than initially estimated.

The United States’ Department of Agriculture (USDA) projected that the Philippines would remain the world’s top rice importer in 2024. — DVM, GMA Integrated News