More rice imports expected in 2021 due to damage from typhoons —DA

Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary William Dar on Thursday said more rice will be imported in 2021 to fill the gaps caused by the recent typhoons' damage to agriculture.

According to Dar, the DA is targeting to elevate the rice sufficiency in the country to 93%, but with the agricultural damage due to the typhoon, he said it could drop to 90% or 89%.

“If we're able to meet that target, then we only have to import 7% of our total rice consumption. With the typhoon damages now, that could go down to bring us back to almost 89% to 90%,” he said in an interview on ANC.

“We have yet to now bring in 10% of our total rice consumption,” he added.

Dar noted that it is "a given" to import rice if the country cannot produce its total consumption.

“When you are only able to produce 90% percent of your requirement sa rice, then, you always have to import the rest of that from other countries... Yes, that's a given,” he said.

As of Wednesday morning, the total agricultural damage recorded after the onslaught of weather disturbances Quinta, Rolly, and Ulysses was P12.3 billion.

The most affected regions are Cagayan Valley, Bicol, Calabarzon, and Mimaropa.

To help the agriculture sector to recover, Dar said P8 billion worth of agricultural inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, animals, and fingerlings will be provided to affected farmers and fishers.

The planting can start by the second week of December when the floodwaters have subsided and no more typhoons are forecasted to cross the country, according to Dar.

He added that affected farmers and fishers can receive P10,000 to P15,000 insurance claims for indemnification, as long as they are listed on the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture.

To sustain the rice production for longer term, Dar suggested establishing irrigation systems in 1.2 million hectares of underdeveloped rice fields in the country.

“We still have 1.2 million hectares of rice needing development of national irrigation systems. Without that, I cannot see happening na ma-produce lahat ng pagkain natin,” he said. --KBK, GMA News