The Department of Agriculture (DA) is intensifying efforts to reduce rice prices, including adding more subsidized outlets and introducing lower-priced rice varieties, according to Agriculture secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.
In briefing reporters in Makati, Laurel highlighted the challenge of lowering the price of regular milled rice, a staple for many Filipinos. The agency plans to expand the “Rice for All” program, which currently offers rice at P40 per kilo, by opening more Kadiwa outlets in markets and train stations. Some in the rice business have been wary and resisted this effort due to competition with rice vendors selling from P48 to P52 per kilo. According to the DA, cooperation from local governments is seen as key to the success of the program.
The DA also introduced two new budget-friendly rice varieties, Sulit Rice and Nutri Rice. Sulit Rice, made from 100 percent broken grain, is priced at P35 to P36 per kilo, while Nutri Rice, sourced locally and minimally processed to retain nutrients, will be offered at P36 to P37 per kilo.
If funding permits, the government may reduce the price of subsidized rice further, with the potential to lower it to P38 or P39 per kilo. Local rice prices currently range from P40 to P52 per kilo, with imported varieties priced between P40 and P64 per kilo.
