The move comes as the Department of Agriculture (DA) races to finalize rice import policies for May while laying the groundwork for a more structured and disciplined system later in the year.
Import policy reset
The TWG is expected to play a central role in shaping how import volumes, timing, and distribution are determined.
Speaking during a recent meeting with industry stakeholders and DA officials, Tiu Laurel stressed the urgency of the task, instructing the group to work quickly and meet weekly.
“We have to work fast. It’s already February,” he said, adding that policy recommendations should be delivered within weeks.
Who’s involved
The TWG will be composed of representatives from the DA-Office of the Undersecretary for Rice Industry Development, Food Terminal Inc. (FTI), the Philippine Rice Industry Stakeholders Movement (PRISM), and the Philippine Rice Importers Association (PRIA), among others.
At its core, the group is tasked with strengthening strategic oversight of rice importation through transparent and evidence-based decision-making.
Instead of ad hoc approvals, the system will emphasize license-based access verified by performance and guided by data on regional deficits, buffer stocks, and real-time inventory levels.
Near-term focus
The immediate objective is to ensure that sufficient imported rice enters the market to help temper prices without overwhelming local harvests.
Tiu Laurel said import volumes for May will remain “simple,” but noted that more complex mechanisms are being considered for later in the year, potentially after the wet season.
Among the options on the table is linking import participation to purchases from local farmers, a move that could align trader incentives with domestic production support.
Data-driven system
What sets the initiative apart is its analytical, data-driven framework. The TWG is expected to refine a two-layer system that balances equity and efficiency—determining not just how much rice to import, but when and where it should be released, down to provincial and regional levels.
Future import volumes and timing will be calibrated based on data for Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, with the possibility of province-level pricing, Tiu Laurel said.
Transparency push
The DA is also tightening reporting requirements on rice stocks. Traders and warehouses that fail to submit accurate data risk losing eligibility for import registration. With only a fraction of registered warehouses currently reporting, Tiu Laurel was blunt: no data, no import participation.
For farmers, the DA says the system offers protection through structure, curbing speculative behavior that distorts farmgate prices. For consumers, the goal is steadier supply and fewer price spikes.
In effect, the TWG marks a move to shift rice policy from crisis response to system-building—turning imports into a calibrated tool for market stability and domestic production support. —Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
