Hanoi (VNA) – The Philippines imported 1.68 million tonnes of rice in the first four months of 2026, up 18% year-on-year, as the government moves to secure food supplies amid concerns over declining domestic output caused by rising fertiliser costs and the impact of a severe El Niño phenomenon.
Vietnam remained the Philippines’ largest rice supplier, exporting 1.46 million tonnes during the period and accounting for more than 86% of the country’s total rice imports. The Philippines also imported rice from traditional suppliers such as Thailand, Myanmar and Cambodia.
To strengthen long-term food security, the Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA) has signed an agreement with Vietnam to import an additional 1.5 million tonnes of rice through the end of next year.
Philippine Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel said maintaining a steady flow of rice imports is a key measure to offset domestic supply shortages and ease retail prices.
Rising rice prices have become a major driver of inflation in the Philippines, which reached 7.2% in April 2026, the highest level in three years. Rice prices alone surged 13.7%, placing significant pressure on household spending.
To protect consumers, the Philippine government is considering imposing a price ceiling of 50 PHP (0.9 USD) per kilogramme on imported rice to prevent unreasonable price hikes.
At the same time, to shield local farmers from falling farmgate prices, the Department of Agriculture is weighing plans to limit rice imports to between 150,000 and 200,000 tonnes per month during the June–October harvest season.
The measure is intended to prevent oversupply in the domestic market while ensuring stable food availability. The Philippines is also exploring broader rice imports from India and Pakistan to maintain affordable supplies for consumers./.
