Instead of earning from the recent palay harvest, many farmers in Mangaldan, Pangasinan said they are losing even more money due to the low buying price of rice.

The current price of freshly harvested wet palay is only P9 to P10 per kilo, while sun-dried palay sells for just P14 to P15 per kilo.

This is far from previous years’ rates of P18 to P24 per kilo.

“Malaking lugi kasi siyempre mataas ang gastos sa pagtatanim, labor, pataba, tapos ganito lang presyo,” Fernando Cerezo, a farmer, said.

Because of the low prices, some farmers have decided to keep their harvest or have it milled into rice for personal consumption rather than sell at a loss.

“Kainin na lang namin ‘yung bigas kaysa ibenta namin, sayang pa,” Rufino Velasquez, a farmer, said.

Velasquez chose to mill his harvest for family use.

Others like Orlando Castro are storing their palay in hopes that prices will improve.

“Sabi nila mababa ang presyo, binabarat ng traders. Ibebenta naman namin sa NFA, kaya lang may classification ang NFA. Kung reject, hindi na bibilihin,” he said.

The Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) said traders are not to blame. Prices in the Philippines are influenced by the international market.

“Kasi kung traders ka, titingnan mo kung anong bibilhin mo — ‘yung finished product na P25 na puwede mong mabili na tapos na bigas na o ‘yung palay na bibilhin mo tapos igigiling pa para maging bigas,” SINAG Chairman Engr. Rosendo So said.

So warned that if rice prices continue to drop in other countries, local palay prices may fall even further.

This will happen unless tariffs on imported rice are raised.

As of June 3, 2025, imported rice is taxed at 15 percent.

So believes that increasing this back to 35 percent could help local farmers earn more from their harvest.