In a statement, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. expressed confidence in surpassing the 2023 record of 20.06 million metric tons of palay.
“We’re now hopeful we could do better than 2023,” he said on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, emphasizing that the President has allowed the DA to secure the necessary resources to boost rice output beyond the 20 million metric ton mark.
The reinstatement of P10 billion in budget cuts will enable the DA to pursue strategies aimed at meeting its original target of 20.46 million metric tons of palay for 2025.
The country’s rice production faced hurdles last year, with the El Niño dry spell in early 2024 and La Niña-induced flooding impacting yields. As a result, the preliminary estimate for 2024 rice output stands at 19.3 million metric tons, falling short of the previous year’s record.
Tiu Laurel noted that the National Food Authority (NFA) will sustain its aggressive rice procurement initiatives, which have significantly bolstered national rice reserves.
“This year, NFA will buy a minimum of 300,000 metric tons,” he said, underscoring the agency’s commitment to stabilizing rice supply.
In 2024, the NFA purchased palay equivalent to 300,000 metric tons of rice, which contributed to maintaining buffer stocks. The NFA’s efforts, coupled with reduced rice tariffs, led to total rice imports of 4.75 million metric tons in 2024 to cover local production shortfalls.
With the recent amendments to the Rice Tariffication Law, the NFA is now mandated to maintain a buffer stock sufficient for 15 days of national consumption, an increase from the previous nine-day coverage.
The DA said remains focused on increasing domestic production while ensuring food security through a combination of procurement programs and policy measures aimed at enhancing the resilience of the rice sector.
