Rice dealers display rice and their prices at Trabajo Market in Sampaloc, Manila. (Photo: philstar.com)
The Philippine government has decided to extend its rice import ban until the end of 2025, two months longer than originally planned, in a bid to raise domestic paddy prices and protect local farmers from losses amid oversupply and falling prices.
According to a statement from the Department of Agriculture, Secretary of Agriculture Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. announced the decision before the House Committee on Agriculture and Food on October 8.
He said the government hopes the Congress will soon approve the proposal to increase rice import tariffs. Should that fail, a fallback plan which has been already endorsed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will only allow imports in January 2026, followed by another suspension from February to April 2026 to safeguard the next harvest.
He noted that domestic paddy (palay) prices remain under downward pressure due to an excess supply and lower grain quality caused by months of continuous rainfall.
As of the end of September 2025, the Philippines had imported 3.5 million tonnes of rice, far exceeding the “reasonable” level of 2.7 million tonnes expected for this period of the year.
The country has an excess of around 800,000 tonnes, the secretary said, adding that the country’s annual rice import demand should only reach 3.6 million tonnes, equivalent to about 300,000 tonnes per month.
Last year, the Philippines imported a total of 4.7 million tonnes of rice, maintaining its position as the world’s largest rice importer.
