Port delays impact cost of imported rice

Port congestion in the Philippines continues to impact the agriculture industry, particularly the cost of imported rice, despite Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.'s claims.

The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) clarified on Wednesday that there is no congestion at ports it oversees and average dwell times for containers are within acceptable limits.

However, some rice container shipments remain uncollected by consignees for over 20 days after being cleared by customs, leading to delays in the release of imported rice.

Laurel noted that specialized port facilities for agricultural goods are lacking, adding that the Philippines needs more agriports to reduce logistics costs and stabilize rice prices.

As of September 13, imported regular-milled rice ranged from P42 to P50 while imported well-milled rice sold from P45 to P55. Laurel predicts a price decrease of at least P5 per kilo by mid-October based on recent shipments.