Global Rice News

THE volume of rice imports in mid-November decreased by 16.7 percent compared to the same period last year, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).

Data from the DA-Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) showed that inbound shipments of rice as of November 16 totaled 2.93 million metric tons (MT), down 16.7 percent from the 3.25 million MT during the same period in 2022.

In November alone, rice imports were recorded at 106,216.15 MT. The peak of rice imports occurred in April at 516,895.173 MT.

Vietnam remained the top source of rice for the country, accounting for 2.61 million MT or 89.17 percent of total imports. Thailand followed with 143,897.67 MT, Myanmar with 123,658 MT, and Pakistan with 30,325.21 MT. India also contributed 13,734.79 MT of rice.

The remaining volume of 6,213.12 MT was shared by Cambodia, China, Japan, Taiwan, Italy, and Spain.

According to separate data from the BPI, a total of 4,186 sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances (SPSICs) were approved from January to November.

From November 1 to 16, the BPI approved 604 SPSICs, allowing an import volume of 484,379.79 MT of rice.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel has ordered importers to quickly utilize their import permits to purchase an additional 1 million tons of rice from abroad. This is to ensure sufficient supply and affordable prices of rice. Import permits that are not used within 30 days will be canceled. The aim is to better manage the supply of rice and prevent price surges.

The Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (Sinag) commented that Laurel is considering all available options. Sinag Executive Director Jayson Cainglet emphasized the need for the government to assess whether the private sector is still willing to import or if the government should intervene. Importers who have been given permits but failed to import should be held accountable as they only import rice when it is convenient for them.

For more information, please visit the source article on The Manila Times website.