Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the government will extend the ban on rice importation until the end of this year, allow imports only in January 2026, and reimpose the ban in February, to stabilize supply in time for the dry season harvest.
Speaking before the House of Representatives’ Committee on Agriculture, Tiu Laurel said the move aims to protect local farmers from further losses, as domestic palay prices remain under pressure due to oversupply and poor grain quality from persistent rains.
The agriculture chief stressed that rice importation must be aligned with national needs, revealing that as of the end of September, rice imports had already reached 3.5 million metric tons, far above the 2.7 million metric tons that should have been brought in by that point in the year.
“We are 800,000 metric tons in excess,” the agriculture head.
He noted that the country’s annual import requirement should only be 3.6 million metric tons, or about 300,000 metric tons per month. In 2024, however, total imports reached 4.8 million metric tons—1.2 million metric tons more than needed.
“President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is considering a restoration of the 35 percent rice tariff.”
Tiu Laurel also revealed that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is considering a restoration of the 35 percent rice tariff, which was reduced to 15 percent in July 2024 in an attempt to bring down retail prices.
According to the Bureau of Customs, this tariff cut resulted in an estimated P20 billion in foregone revenues over a 12-month period.
“Our fallback plan is to allow importation only in January and suspend it again from February to April to protect the next harvest.”
“If the tariff hike is approved, well and good,” Tiu Laurel said. “But if not, our fallback plan—already supported by the President—is to allow importation only in January, and suspend it again from February to April to protect the next harvest.”
Agriculture Undersecretary for Rice Industry Development Christopher Morales said projected rice supply by the end of 2025 would range from 3.24 million to 4.06 million metric tons, equivalent to 85 to 106 days of national consumption. Morales said the supply outlook is stable enough to support a 60- to 120-day import suspension.
Despite weather disruptions from the Southwest Monsoon and typhoons, the country’s palay harvest is expected to reach a record 20.29 to 20.51 million metric tons, translating to 12.78 to 12.92 million metric tons of milled rice, said Morales.
Meanwhile, NFA Administrator Larry Lacson said the agency plans to procure 4 million 50-kilo bags of palay at a minimum price of P17 per kilo, benefiting around 40,000 farmers.
Tiu Laurel also said Malacañang is preparing two executive orders: one to set a floor price for palay via government procurement, and another to allocate ₱3 billion to the NFA for emergency logistics, warehouse leasing, trucking, and procurement of storm-damaged grain.
