Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 12) — The Philippines might be the top rice importer in the world by the end of 2019, according to a forecast made by the US Department of Agriculture-Foreign Agricultural Services (USDA-FAS).
In a November report, the USDA-FAS said that the Philippines will importing up to 3 million metric tonnes (MT) of rice in 2019 “based on pace of trade”. This is mainly due to the liberalization of the rice industry.
The report also stated that the country will import a little less in 2020, at 2,500 million metric tonnes of rice as a result of the Philippines government’s preliminary investigation into import safeguards.
This would lead to the Philippines beating former top importer, China, which is expected to import 2.5 million MT.
Federation of Free Farmers Chairperson Raul Montemayor said this should be a wake up call to the government.
“I think as a rice producing country it should be something we should be ashamed of. We have the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines, a lot of scientists from other countries studied rice here, and now they’re the ones selling rice to us,” Montemayor said.
According to Montemayor the Philippines has been importing more than double its 1.3 million MT rice supply deficit, which has continuously hurt farmers.
He added that the harvest season in the Philippines is almost over, but many farmers either sell palay (unmilled or unhusked rice) at a low price or not earn at all.
Montemayor said some traders’ rice stock is full, so some of them refuse to buy local palay.
Over-importation has also led to some farmers to be unable to pay bank loans, while others are forced to stop sending children to school, the farmer’s group leader said.
Amid over-importation, Agriculture department spokesperon Noel Reyes said authorities will review the current provisions of the Rice Tariffication Law in March 2020.
“That’s the wish of Secretary (William Dar), and Senator (Cynthia) Villa, that after a year we will have to review the article, or probably put some more provisions as to not exceed our rice requirements,” Reyes said.
But the farmer’s group said the government should review the law sooner before more farmers end up leaving their farms.
