PH Rice Imports Jump 20% to 4.07M Tons Ahead of El Niño

Philippine Rice Imports Jump 20% to 4.07 Million Tons Ahead of El Niño

Rice imports reached about 4.07 million metric tons as of October 1, up 20% from a year earlier, according to the Bureau of Plant Industry. A farmers' group says imports could top 5 million tons this year as traders stock up ahead of El Niño.

By Sampaguita News Staff

Newsroom

Oct 18, 20262 min read

Key Facts

Rice imports reached about 4.07 million metric tons as of October 1, up 20.06% year on year.

Vietnam supplied 2.73 million tons, followed by Thailand and Myanmar.

The Department of Agriculture said in September the country might need to import as much as 5 million tons.

PAGASA warned El Niño may become very strong by end-2026 and last into the first half of 2027.

Imported special rice averaged P60.74 per kilo as of October 15.

The Philippines imported about 4.07 million metric tons of rice as of October 1, up 20.06% from 3.39 million tons a year earlier, data from the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) showed.

Vietnam remained the largest supplier at 2.73 million tons, followed by Thailand at 552,667 tons and Myanmar at 418,854 tons. The rest came from Cambodia, Pakistan, India, South Korea, Japan and Italy.

Imports could top 5 million tons

In early September, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said the country might need to import as much as 5 million tons of rice this year. Last month, it said rice imports were not barred, to protect local buffer stocks against El Niño.

Raul Montemayor, national manager of the Federation of Free Farmers, said imports could exceed that level. "5 million metric tons for 2026 is very possible," he said. He added that importers and traders are likely to stock up early, expecting supplies to tighten in early 2027 before the March to May dry-season harvest.

A strong El Niño ahead

The state weather bureau PAGASA has warned that El Niño may intensify into a very strong event by the end of 2026 and persist into the first half of 2027, bringing below-normal rainfall, prolonged dry spells, reduced water supply and extreme heat in parts of the country.

Retail prices

As of October 15, imported special rice sold for an average of P60.74 per kilo, premium imported rice for P55.85, well-milled imported rice for P48.55 and regular milled imported rice for P45.33, based on the DA's daily price index.

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