Rice prices may continue to ease inflationary pressure this July, even as the cost of other key food items rises with the onset of the rainy season, according to preliminary data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
The cost of producing palay—the unmilled form of rice, the Philippines’ national food staple—exposes deep regional disparities that mirror the effects of geography, infrastructure, and urban sprawl on the country’s agriculture.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) has expanded its P20 per kilogram subsidized rice program to La Union and Baguio City, aiming to ease food costs for low-income consumers.
The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) will condone over P1.135 billion in unpaid loans under foreign-assisted financing programs, benefiting 29,948 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in Panay and Guimaras.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) has temporarily suspended the issuance of sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance (SPSIC ) for the importation of mackerel and torpedo scad species following reports of import permit misuse that could destabilize the market.