Marcos: PH to import 4.5M tons of rice as agriculture reels from typhoons

President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. sees an increase in rice importation amid the onslaught of typhoons that devastated the agricultural sector. 

“Unfortunately, I just received a report from the DA (Department of Agriculture). Mukhang madadagdagan ang importation natin. We will import close to 4.5 million tons, that’s the estimate.. It was 3.9 million tons last year,” Marcos told reporters after the situation briefing on typhoon Pepito. 

However, he said he does not see the additional rice imports resulting in higher rice prices.

“But the prices of rice, imported rice have gone down significantly since last year. We are not in competition since we are the only one badly hit by typhoons, unlike during the El Niño period where all Southeast Asian countries were affected,” he said.

“Of course, we are doing everything to control the price of food, especially all of those products damaged or destroyed by the whole series of typhoons. Six typhoons in three weeks. We’ll have to deal with it,” he added.

Prior to Pepito, other typhoons that hit the country were Kristine, Leon, Marce, Nika and Ofel.—LDF, GMA Integrated News