PH exceeds rice export goal, goes for double

The government has already exceeded its 2013 target export volume for high-end rice varieties last July and is on its way to doubling the goal by yearend.

According to the Department of Agriculture, a total of 106.6 MT has been shipped out by end-July, surpassing the full year target of 100 metric tons in the first seven months alone.

At this rate, actual outbound shipments may hit 200 metric tons by the end of the year.

Data from the DA showed that, as of July, 45 metric tons were shipped to Singapore, 35 metric tons to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, and a total of 26.55 metric tons went to Kuwait, Hong Kong, Germany, Macau, Canada and The Netherlands.

Agriculture officials said that, for the rest of the year, the government would set up shipments to Russia, Italy, the Middle East and the United States—all for a total of 97 metric tons.

Also, with the rice import bill declining by an average of 54 percent yearly under the Aquino administration, the DA estimates that the government has saved $1.4 billion in foreign currency since 2010.

Inbound shipments of milled rice have declined to 490,000 metric tons in 2012 from 2.47 million metric tons in 2010 and 850,000 metric tons in 2011.

But agriculture officials continue to parry persistent allegations of a rice shortage. They have debunked the supposed spike in commercial prices as well as the alleged lack of supply of the P27/kilo regular milled rice from the National Food Authority (NFA).

In the face of such pressure, the NFA has enlisted the help of some 150 industry players composed of farmers, rice mill owners, wholesalers, traders and retailers from Luzon and Visayas, with whom agriculture officials held a dialogue last week.

In a joint statement, the rice industry stakeholders backed up the government’s claims that the country has sufficient rice stocks.

The Farmers Advisory Board and National Confederation of Irrigators Association announced that they are now starting to harvest palay and have requested an increase in the buying price of palay because of the additional price in farm inputs.

The government purchase price for palay remains at P17 a kilo, with additional incentives.

The rice industry groups also said that they are against any person or group that is “orchestrating an artificial rice shortage.”