DA assures sufficient supply for P20/kg rice program

The current rice stock of the National Food Authority (NFA) is enough to cover and sustain the P20 per kilogram subsidized rice program until the end of the year, the Department of Agriculture (DA) assured Saturday.

Agriculture spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa gave the assurance in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB, saying that the current NFA inventory stands at 400,000 metric tons (MT), which is equivalent to 250 million kilograms of rice.

The P20 per kilogram rice program is currently being rolled out to vulnerable sectors, and has been recently expanded to minimum wage earners. Households of qualified beneficiaries may purchase up to 30 kilograms of rice per month.

"At 10 kilos per individual per month, so that's about 1.2 million kilos per month, Weng. Sa supply meron tayo sa NFA ngayon, currently at 400,000 metric tons. So ang initial na ina-allocate diyan ay 250,000 metric tons at puwede pang madagdagan 'yan. So 'yung 1.2 million kilos can easily be supplied nitong programa natin, assuming hanggang December, can easily be supplied," De Mesa said.

(At 10 kilos per individual per month, that's about 1.2 millions in total per month. Our current NFA supply stands at 400,000 metric tons. So the initial allocation is 250,000 metric tons, and more can be added. So the 1.2 million kilos for our program, assuming until December, can be easily supplied.)

Aside from the P20 per kilogram rice program, the DA has also rolled out rice at P29 to P33 per kilogram in Kadiwa stores.

Meanwhile, De Mesa said the country has enough rice supply for its food requirements, even with the expected rains in the coming months.

"Kasi yung last inventory natin [noong] December, puwede tayong itawid hanggang anihan; tapos nag-anihan tayo, so we have sufficient supply hanggang sa susunod na harvest in time sa ating lean months, normally mid-July, mid-July o mid-August," De Mesa said.

(Our last inventory last December showed that we have enough until the harvest season; then we have harvests coming in, so we have sufficient supply until the next harvest in time for the lean months, normally mid-July or mid-August.)

The Agriculture spokesperson's statement comes a day after the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) declared the start of the Habagat or southwest monsoon season in the country.

According to De Mesa, the current rice import level for May 2025 stands at about 1.7 million to 1.9 million metric tons.

"[The rice imports] plus 'yung harvest natin na ongoing sa ibang lugar, we have sufficient, at coming pa sa imbentaryo natin last December na ending inventory natin, we have sufficient rice," he said.

(The rice imports plus the ongoing harvests in some areas allow us to have a sufficient supply. Plus with our ending inventory last December, we have sufficient rice.) — VDV, GMA Integrated News