The Bureau of Plant Industry is expecting up to 1.4 million metric tons of rice to be harvested in September and October.

“There are farmers who have harvested early. We are expecting around 1.3 or 1.4 million metric tons this month,” Bureau of Plant Industry Director Glenn Panganiban told dzBB.

Panganiban said the October harvest will be the same figure.

“We have the same projection for October. So yes, our supply is enough because it can be complemented by our rice importation,” he said.

The government imposed a price ceiling of P41 kilo for regular milled rice and P45 a kilo for well milled rice. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, who is also agriculture secretary, said he is hoping that price ceiling will be lifted soon as harvests and imports come in.

Panganiban said Marcos, Jr. ordered them to provide support to rice production including seedlings, fertilizers, farm mechanization, increasing the hectarage of farming, and irrigation.

He brushed off the forecast of the US Department of Agriculture that the country is expected to overtake China as the top rice importer next year as an “assumption”.

Based on the US DA report, the Philippines is forecast to import 3.8 million metric tons of rice, surpassing China which is expected to import 3.5 metric tons of rice

“This figure given by the US DA is just an assumption,” Panganiban said.

“Due to the harvest expected in the last quarter of the year, it might not reach that amount,” he added. Jaspearl Tan/DMS