Rice stocks in the country rose 3.8 percent year-on-year to 2.55 million metric tons as of November 1, driven largely by the National Food Authority’s aggressive inventory buildup, the Philippine Statistics Authority said.
The increase in rice inventory comes ahead of the peak of the harvest season, reinforcing supply buffers as the government continues to manage food inflation risks.
Month-on-month, rice inventories jumped 8.5 percent from 2.35 million metric tons.
The PSA said the gains were fueled by a tripling of NFA inventory and a 28 percent expansion in household-held rice stocks. Commercial warehouses, however, reported a 33.4 percent annual drop, likely due to the four-month long import ban imposed by the government starting September to boost palay prices.
By source, households accounted for 45 percent of total rice stocks, followed by the commercial sector at 37 percent and the NFA at 18 percent. Compared to October, household rice stocks grew 20.7 percent, while NFA stocks inched up 2.9 percent. Commercial inventories slipped 1.1 percent.
Corn supply also posted strong annual growth. Total corn stocks reached 790,160 metric tons, up 27.6 percent from 619,160 metric tons a year earlier. The increase was propelled by a 62.5 percent jump in stocks held by households and a 22.6 percent rise in commercial holdings.
However, month-on-month corn inventories declined 6.7 percent from 846,810 metric tons. Household stocks fell sharply by 31.2 percent, while commercial stocks were largely stable, edging up 0.2 percent. The commercial sector continued to dominate corn supply, accounting for 83.9 percent of total inventory, with households holding the remaining 16.1 percent.
The latest supply figures come as the agriculture sector enters a critical period of peak harvest, with policymakers watching inventories closely to guide price and import decisions in the final stretch of the year.
