By Tracy Cabrera
DILIMAN, Quezon City — The Department of Agriculture (DA) has assured rice farmers that government interventions will help safeguard their earnings during the upcoming wet-season planting and harvest period, despite looming El Niño conditions and rising production expenses.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said measures are being put in place to ensure farmers remain profitable even as fertilizer prices continue to climb amid global energy market disruptions.
The assurance comes as the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) warned of possible dry spells in the coming months, while also forecasting the likelihood of strong weather disturbances.
“The President has directed us to ensure that farmers receive fair returns and avoid losses during the next harvest season, despite increasing input costs,” Tiu Laurel said.
In preparation for the harvest period, the National Food Authority (NFA) announced its procurement prices for palay, setting the buying rate at ₱22 per kilogram for wet palay and ₱27 per kilogram for dry palay.
NFA Administrator Larry Lacson said the pricing scheme is intended to establish a market benchmark and help farmers secure reasonable profits. He explained that wet palay, which contains between 20 and 25 percent moisture, is highly perishable, while dry palay with moisture content of 14 percent or lower is suitable for long-term storage and milling.
Lacson also said the NFA plans to take a more aggressive role in palay procurement during the coming season.
“Unlike the previous dry-season harvest, when we entered the market later to match prices offered by private traders, we intend to purchase earlier and at more competitive rates,” he said.
During the last dry-season harvest, the NFA purchased dry palay at prices ranging from ₱25 to ₱30 per kilogram.
To prepare for incoming harvests, the agency is milling a substantial portion of its buffer stock inventory to create additional warehouse capacity. The move will also support the government’s expanded ₱20-per-kilo rice initiative.
Tiu Laurel said the DA and NFA are coordinating efforts to maintain stable rice prices while ensuring farmers have reliable market outlets for their produce.
“We are freeing up storage space so the NFA can accommodate larger volumes of palay once the harvest season begins,” he said.
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