Very strong El Niño not enough reason to hike commodity prices — DA

The Department of Agriculture (DA) said Tuesday that the threat of a very strong El Niño, which may persist until the first half of 2027, is not enough reason to raise commodity prices as the country supposedly has sufficient food supplies.

DA spokesperson Arnel de Mesa said the government is working to ensure adequate food supplies throughout the El Niño period while continuing to support local producers.

“We need to ensure both the boosting of our local production and our access to imported items so that we have an adequate food supply until El Niño ends. But nevertheless, our first priority is to help local producers,” he told Super Radyo dzBB in an interview.

The DA said it is coordinating with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and local government units (LGUs) to monitor possible hoarding and profiteering amid concerns over the prolonged drought.

“Our coordination with the DTI and LGUs is continuous. For now, even though El Niño is starting, it is not enough basis to justify price hikes because we have enough supply of agricultural commodities,” De Mesa said.

“There are simply some who are taking advantage right now. Of course, if there is profiteering or hoarding, we will hold them accountable,” he added.

No export ban

The DA also said it would not prohibit agricultural exports, including rice, as it seeks to build up the country's food stocks ahead of the expected impact of El Niño on the next cropping season.

“We are in the harvest season, and other countries are in their harvest season as well. Right now, the harvest is still good,” De Mesa said.

"Actually, El Niño will hit us and other countries during what is called the next cropping season, the dry cropping season. So if they are open to exporting to us, we should not ban it so we can build up our stocks until this El Niño passes," he added.

The DA earlier said it would adopt a “scientific” strategy to mitigate the impact of a potentially record-breaking El Niño.

The department also said it is preparing a bigger food buffer to cushion the impact of the possible extreme drought by expanding rice storage capacity and opening more cold storage facilities.— MCG, GMA News

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