Palay prices in Nueva Ecija have climbed above P20 per kilo, giving farmers hope of recovering from losses they suffered in the previous harvest.

Fresh or wet palay now sells between P22 and P24 per kilo while dry palay reaches around P25 per kilo, according to local farmers and irrigation officials.

Farmers said they hope prices will not fall again and may even increase in the coming months. Many of them said they incurred losses in the last harvest season when palay prices dropped to as low as P10 per kilo.

They expect to recover during the next harvest season from March to May 2026.

“Umaasa kaming sana ay tumaas. Sana maabutan namin ’yung 25,” Francis Medina, a farmer, said.

Dante Lazatin, president of the Irrigators’ Association under the National Irrigation Administration–Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation Systems (NIA-UPRIIS), said stable prices would help farmers sustain their livelihood.

“Sana po laging ganyan ang presyo. Kahit papaano, matutuwa na po kaming lahat,” Lazatin said.