THE Philippines is seeking to be 100 percent rice self-sufficient a year before the Marcos administration ends its term, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said yesterday.
The DA said the aim for 100 percent self-sufficiency by 2027 will be achieved through its Masagana Rice Program 2023-2028.
The Masagana Rice Program aims to “stabilize the country’s rice supply between 24.99 million metric tons (MT) to 26.86 million MT, lower rice inflation to less than 1 percent annually, increase farmers’ income by 54 percent, and ensure rice availability and safety at all times by maintaining sufficient rice buffer stock at the DA-National Food Authority (NFA) as mandated by the Republic Act No. 11203 or the Rice Tariffication Law.”
Last year, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who concurrently sits as DA chief, called for the operationalization of the Masagana 150 and Masagana 200 proposals by former Agriculture secretary William Dar.
Masagana 150 would yield 7.5 tons of inbred rice per hectare at a production cost of P8.38 per kilogram.
This would translate to a net profit of P50,000 per hectare for farmers based on a market price of P27.50 per kilogram.
Masagana 200, meanwhile, aims to yield 10 tons of hybrid rice per hectare at a production cost of P7.82 per kilogram. This would give farmers a net of P70,000 based on a market price of P27.50 per kilogram.
The Agriculture Department also reiterated that the country’s rice supply remains stable amid concerns over supply shortage and increase due to the threat of the looming El Niño phenomenon.
The DA said a study by the National Rice Program (NRP) estimated that the ending stock of palay for the first quarter of 2023, which is about 5.66 million metric tons (MT), is good for 51 days.
This consists of 1.77 million MT of beginning stock, 3.12 million MT of locally produced rice, and 774,050.44 MT of imported rice, which was based on the Bureau of Custom’s import arrivals as of March 16 and the DA – Bureau of Plant Industry’s arrival report as of March 23.
A surge in the estimated rice supply is also expected upon incorporation of the harvests in March and April, the DA said. (GMA Integrated News)
