Philippine rice imports drop significantly in early 2025

Philippine rice imports in the first two-and-a-half months of 2025 reached 641,000 metric tons, a significant drop from nearly 1.2 million metric tons imported in the same period of 2024.

DA spokesman Arnel de Mesa attributed the decrease to a large volume of imports in the previous year and the expectation of a good local harvest this year.

He also noted that importations are adjusting, citing preliminary data from the Bureau of Plant Industry.

Monthly import data shows 277,000 MT in January, 267,000 MT in February, and 96,000 MT midway through March 2025.

This contrasts with 2024 figures of 430,000 MT in January, 342,000 MT in February, and 415,000 MT in March.

Agricultural economist Samarendu Mohanty linked the stabilizing rice prices to policy shifts in both India and the Philippines.

These policy shifts include India's removal of its import ban on non-Basmati white rice and the Philippines' implementation of a maximum suggested retail price on imported rice, alongside efforts to combat hoarding and profiteering.