The Department of Agriculture (DA) is set to roll out the Kadiwa Rice-for-All program in all major public markets to provide affordable options for consumers and curb persistently high retail prices of rice.
This developed as the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) assured no increase in the prices of basic commodities until the end of the year. The DTI also said prices of most Noche Buena package items will remain the same as last year.
The DA admitted the expected reduction in the price of rice even with the tariff cut to 15 percent from 35 percent has been slow.
The DA is in talks with importers who committed to supply Kadiwa rice at P42 per kg to help bring down the retail price of rice while maintaining healthy market competition.
“We’ve tried to avoid selling rice in major public markets to protect the livelihood of rice vendors… But since they haven’t significantly lowered prices for well-milled and regular-milled rice, we are now forced to step in and offer Kadiwa rice. This will allow us to supply consumers directly and compete with retailers,” Tiu Laurel said.
The agency said the wider Rice-for-All rollout will be undertaken in coordination with the Department of Interior and Local
Government, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Social Welfare and Development and units of the Office of the President.
Despite the challenges, Tiu Laurel still cited the positive impact of the reduced rice tariffs.
“If the tariff had not been reduced, rice prices would surely be higher. Prices tend to increase quickly but decrease slowly, if at all. Nevertheless, we will continue our efforts to push prices down,” Tiu Laurel said.
DA has noted an increased demand for rice due to disaster relief operations and reduced palay production caused by El Niño and recent typhoons.
Meanwhile, the Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (Sinag) called for the repeal of Executive Order (EO) 62 which reduced the tariffs
Sinag said rice prices remain high and consumers, farmers and the government have not benefitted.
Based on DA’s monitoring of public markets in the National Capital Region, the price as of Wednesday of local well-milled rice is between P42 and P53 per kg and regular milled, P40 to P48 per kg.
The price of imported well milled rice is at P45 to P54 per kg, while the price range of imported regular milled rice is at P40 to P51 per kg.
Imported rice ranges from P55 to P63 for the special variety and P51 to P62 for premium.
For local rice, the special variety costs P58 to P61 per kg and premium, P50 to P58 per kg.
Roque, in a briefing in Malacanang yesterday, said only a few Noche Buena products have increased their prices and the adjustment was only less than five percent. Roque said the prices of more than 50 percent of Noche Buena products will remain in their 2023 levels.
