DA: Restored NFA regulatory powers will help sustain P20/kg rice

The passage of a measure that seeks to restore the regulatory and market intervention functions of the National Food Authority (NFA) will help ensure the sustainability of the Marcos administration's P20 per kilogram of rice program, the Department of Agriculture said Saturday.

At a news forum, DA spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa reported that more than 450,000 metric tons of rice are currently in the NFA's inventory, which is equivalent to 9 million sacks or 16% of the total national inventory.

De Mesa said the figure is higher than the usual 5% in previous years.

He added that the NFA has released 455,000 sacks of rice to purchase more palay or unmilled rice from local farmers.

The Agriculture spokesperson called for the passage of the House Bill 1 or the proposed Rice Industry and Consumer Empowerment (RICE) Act, which grants the NFA regulatory powers aimed at lowering rice prices and protecting farmers.

If passed, a food security emergency need not to be declared for the NFA to take action, and the law should expedite the release of funds for the purchase of rice from farmers, according to a report by Nico Waje on Super Radyo dzBB.

?20/kilo na rice program, kayang itawid hanggang sa susunod na taon, kung pagbabasehan ang kasalukuyang imbentaryo ng @bigas_NFA — DA | via @nicowaje pic.twitter.com/wBWrT6iI85

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) August 2, 2025

In his fourth State of the Nation Address on July 28, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said the P20 rice program is expanding nationwide, adding that his campaign promise to bring down prices of the grain staple to this level has already been achieved.

The next day, the Agriculture Department said coverage of the P20 per kilogram rice initiative will include middle-class families by 2026. It is currently available to members of vulnerable sectors.

Initially launched in the Visayas last April, at least 162 locations across the country have been offering the cheaper subsidized rice, the DA earlier report.

The P20-per-kilo rice initiative operates primarily through KADIWA ng Pangulo outlets. The rice is being sourced from NFA stocks, which are procured directly from local farmers.

The Agriculture Department said the subsidized rice program not only ensures affordable food staple for consumers, but also helps decongest NFA warehouses. With more available space at the warehouses, the DA said, more palay can be purchased at prices higher than those offered by private traders.

Rice, corn harvest

Meanwhile, De Mesa also reported that the first semester of rice and corn harvest in the country is doing well.

According to previous data, the largest harvest reached 9.2 million metric tons in 2023. It decreased in 2024 amid the effects of El Niño and La Niña.

This year, the harvest is expected to rise with better weather conditions.

The government's minimum projection for 2025 is 11 million metric tons, as it targets to harvest 20.4 million metric tons.

The DA said the target can be reached based on the current production.

It added that if good harvest continues, rice imports are also expected to decrease, making the country self-sufficient to rice. — VDV, GMA Integrated News