MANILA — The Department of Agriculture (DA) will not suspend rice imports this year, opting to prioritize food security over market intervention as it prepares for the expected impact of a strong El Niño that could reduce domestic rice production and tighten supplies ahead of the 2027 dry season harvest.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said the government has decided against repeating last year’s temporary suspension of rice imports from September to December, citing the need to build sufficient buffer stocks before weather conditions worsen.

“As of Aug. 3, rice imports have reached 3.3 million metric tons. Unlike last year, we will not suspend imports because we have to prepare for the impact of a strong El Niño expected around November and December,” Tiu Laurel said.

“Our responsibility is to ensure the country has enough buffer stocks well before the next harvest. Food security means being proactive, not reacting after supplies tighten,” he added.

The DA said latest projections indicate palay production could decline by as much as 750,000 metric tons due to El Niño.

To help protect farmers from lower farmgate prices despite continued imports, Tiu Laurel said the National Food Authority (NFA) has been directed to intensify palay procurement during the wet season harvest.

The NFA aims to purchase around 500,000 metric tons of palay at a minimum of PHP21 per kilogram for wet palay and PHP25 to PHP27 per kilogram for dry palay.

Tiu Laurel said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. increased the NFA’s procurement budget to PHP14 billion this year from PHP9 billion in 2025, enabling the agency to buy more palay from farmers.

“The President’s instruction is straightforward. The NFA must have the funds and the warehouse capacity to buy more palay from our farmers,” he said. “We are clearing space now so procurement can accelerate as the harvest begins later this month.”

The DA is also expanding its “Benteng Bigas, Meron Na!” program, which offers PHP20-per-kilogram rice from NFA stocks to target beneficiaries, including indigents, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and single parents.

Through the KADIWA ng Pangulo program, the department aims to double monthly rice sales under the initiative to 40,000 metric tons.

Tiu Laurel, who also chairs the NFA Council, said the agency’s warehouses are now nearly half empty as milling operations resume following recent delays.

He added that the DA plans to meet with rice millers to discuss a pricing structure that would balance the interests of farmers, traders, and consumers.

“We want a market where farmers receive fair compensation, millers and traders operate sustainably, and consumers continue to enjoy reasonably priced rice,” he said, adding that locally produced rice should retail at around PHP47 to PHP50 per kilogram.