Compliance rate of retailers to the mandated rice price caps under Executive Order (EO) 39 is high at 95 percent, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).
Willie Ann Angsiy, DA spokesperson, told reporters in an interview in Quezon City yesterday the price caps continue to face resistance from retailers.
Angsiy said retailers have warned of the limited supply of regular milled and well milled rice, which are capped at P41 per kg and P45 per kg, respectively.
“We will continue to disseminate information to explain to retailers the importance of following the price cap. They will also be provided with financial assistance if they follow,” Angsiy said.
To address supply concerns, Angsiy said the DA will link retailers to farmers and millers and will be given logistical support.
Rice retailers affected by the caps will be given P15,000 assistance by the Department of Social Welfare and Development while local government units will provide their own financial aid like waiver of rental payments in public markets.
The DA has not put any timeline on the price caps and said it could only be lifted once prices stabilize with the start of the harvest season of palay next month.
Based on monitoring by the DA on public markets in the National Capital Region as of Wednesday, the price of local well-milled rice ranged from P45 to P55 per kg; and regular milled at P40 to P52 per kg.
The price of imported well milled rice ranged from P45 to 55 per kg and regular milled, P41 to P45 per kg.
Imported rice ranged from P53 to P65 for special variety and P52 to P56 for premium.
For local rice, special variety was at P54 to P62 per kg and premium at P42 to P60 per kg.
