MANILA — Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said the maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) for 5 percent broken imported rice will remain at P43 per kilo for now, as the government completes procedures for raising the rice import tariff.

Tiu Laurel said the planned increase in rice import duties to 20 percent from the current 15 percent is set to take effect on January 16 to comply with regulatory and procedural requirements. He said any adjustment to the MSRP will be considered only after the higher tariff is implemented.

“We have to complete the process before raising the tariff,” Tiu Laurel said, stressing that price changes must follow, not precede, formal policy action.

The decision comes as the government continues efforts to stabilize palay prices following years of pressure from heavy rice imports. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. earlier ordered a four-month moratorium on rice importation starting in September to support farmgate prices during the peak wet-season harvest, which began in October.

Rice imports reached about 4.8 million metric tons last year, pushing palay prices down to as low as P8 per kilo in some areas before the import ban. Since the moratorium took effect, palay prices have recovered to around P17 per kilo for wet palay and about P23 per kilo for dry palay in several producing regions.

The Department of Agriculture and rice industry stakeholders have agreed on tighter import management, particularly during the summer harvest when domestic production peaks. Once the import ban expires on December 31, an initial volume of 500,000 metric tons of rice will be allowed to enter the country, including about 50,000 metric tons allocated to Food Terminals Inc.

Tiu Laurel, who also chairs the National Food Authority (NFA) Council, said the NFA plans to buy wet palay at P17 per kilo and dry palay at P21 per kilo during the harvest season starting around March. He said private traders are expected to offer higher prices, supported by the higher tariff and more controlled import volumes.

For now, retail prices will remain unchanged. “The January MSRP will stay at P43 because the duty is still 15 percent,” Tiu Laurel said, adding that the temporary price hold is meant to avoid confusion in the market while the tariff adjustment is being finalized.

He said the government will carefully time announcements to prevent speculation, noting that exporters and traders will be formally informed only after the tariff increase is officially issued. Coordination with customs is also underway to ensure a smooth transition once the higher duty takes effect.

The unchanged P43 MSRP is expected to provide short-term price stability for consumers as the government prepares to recalibrate rice import policy to balance farmer incomes and food affordability.