Marcos: India rice to beef up PHL food supply
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. welcomed the arrival of more rice imports as the country is now in the “critical” phase of El Niño.
During the courtesy call of India External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Malacañang on Tuesday, the chief executive thanked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for authorizing the export of 295,000 metric tons of non-basmati white rice to the Philippines.
Marcos said the additional rice supply will help ensure the country’s food supply amid the ongoing effects of El Niño, which is expected to worsen next month.
The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) said the number of provinces affected bydrought and dry spell in April is expected to rise to 72 by April from 54 this month, and this can affect local food production.
“The [rice from India comes at] a very crucial time since we are right now suffering the effects [of] drought,” Marcos said.
The Bureau of Plant Industry reported that rice imports from January to March rose to 886,963 metric tons (MT) from 801,732 MT in the same period last year, which helped keep rice prices stable. Of the latest rice imports, 235.5 MT came from India.
Based on price monitoring by the Department of Agriculture (DA), the average price of local well-milled rice and regular milled is P52.17 per kilogram (kg) and P49.66 per kg, respectively.
To keep food prices affordable, India, the world’s largest rice exporter, banned the export of nonbasmati rice in July 2023.
In October, however, India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry granted some countries an exemption from the ban. Among them are the Philippines, Nepal, Cameroon, Côte d’ Ivore, Malaysia, Seychelles, and the Republic of Guinea.
Marcos said he wants to further expand the country’s trade with India beyond agricultural products.
India is the country’s 15th largest trading partner, with bilateral trade between the two countries exceeding $3 billion in 2023.
Hybrids
THE Philippine Rice Research Institute (Philrice) introduced four public hybrid varieties that are cheaper than private hybrids in a technology demonstration farm called “rice derby,” during the recent 17th National Rice Technology Forum (NRTF) in Sto. Domingo, Nueva Ecija.
“Farmers are always searching for ways to reduce rice production costs. This forum promotes affordable, accessible governmentfunded hybrid varieties available for use,” said Science Research Specialist Jerry D. Batcagan.
Priced at P212 per kilogram (kg), the agency attached to the Department of Agriculture (DA) said public hybrid varieties offer farmers savings of around P100 or more per kilogram compared with the higher-priced private hybrids.
Among the varieties — PSB Rc 72h (Mestizo 1), NSIC RC 204 (Mestiso 20), NSIC RC 446h (Mestiso 73), and NSIC RC 544h (Mestiso 99) showcased in the derby, Philrice said Mestiso 73 stood out for its good performance.
Maturing in 113 days, it exhibits moderate resistance to blast, sheath blight, and green leafhopper, hitting an average yield of 6.6 tons per hectare (t/ ha) and a maximum yield reaching 11.6t/ha.
Miniature displays of Philricedeveloped direct-seeding machines were also displayed while IEC materials and planting guides for Mestizo 1 and Mestiso 20 were distributed to the more than 500 participants.