Hanoi (VNA) — The Philippines’ rice imports so far this year have surpassed last year's level and can hit 4.2 million metric tonnes (MT) by the end of 2024, Department of Agriculture (DA) technical advisory group member and former undersecretary for rice industry development Leocadio Sebastian said.
Speaking at the recent International World Rice Conference Summit in Manila, Sebastian cited data from the DA-Bureau of Plant Industry, noting that as of October 30, foreign shipments of the staple had totaled 3.8 million MT, exceeding the 3.6 million MT in 2023, the Manila Times reported on November 7.
In November and December, the Philippines will probably be expecting another 400,000 MT minimum, he said.
He attributed the higher projected shipments to low domestic rice production due to typhoons and El Niño.
Domestic rice output in the Philippines may be lower than 19.41 million MT this year, following multiple typhoons that hit the country.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Manila office forecasts the Philippines will import around 4.7 million MT of rice this year, higher than the previous estimate of 4.6 million MT.
In its latest Grain report, USDA projected the Philippines will produce 12.3 million MT of milled rice this year, lower than the previous forecast of 12.7 million MT./.
