{"id":22599,"date":"2025-07-28T18:53:49","date_gmt":"2025-07-28T10:53:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pcaf.da.gov.ph\/?p=22599"},"modified":"2025-08-04T09:13:00","modified_gmt":"2025-08-04T01:13:00","slug":"nsc-on-rice-and-other-food-staples-calls-for-policy-action-on-low-palay-prices-including-rtl-reforms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pcaf.da.gov.ph\/index.php\/2025\/07\/28\/nsc-on-rice-and-other-food-staples-calls-for-policy-action-on-low-palay-prices-including-rtl-reforms\/","title":{"rendered":"NSC on Rice and Other Food Staples calls for policy action on low palay prices, including RTL reforms"},"content":{"rendered":"

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PRESS RELEASE- <\/b>The National Sectoral Committee on Rice and Other Food Staples (NSC on Rice) called for a special meeting on July 21, 2025, to address the urgent issue of declining palay prices, during which members recommended revisiting and revising the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL).<\/span><\/p>\n

Among the key proposals are reinstating the rice import tariff from 15% to 35% and redefining the role of the National Food Authority (NFA) to allow conditional market interventions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Raising the tariff would likely increase the price of imported rice in the country.  With the price increase of imported rice, this could protect local rice farmers by making their produce more competitive in terms of price and encourage domestic production.  <\/span><\/p>\n

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The RTL or Republic Act 11203, which was enacted in March 2019, aimed to liberalize rice importation by replacing quantitative restrictions with tariffs, aiming to stabilize supply and lower consumer prices.<\/span><\/p>\n

The special meeting was convened in response to the alarming drop in local palay (unhusked rice) farmgate prices, bringing together key stakeholders to analyze the current market situation and formulate immediate and long-term solutions.<\/span><\/p>\n

In a presentation of the DA-Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) on price monitoring data, it highlighted significant declines across various regions. While the official average price for fresh palay hovered around PhP11.50 per kilo, some areas reportedly experienced prices as low as PhP6 per kilo, far below production costs.<\/span><\/p>\n

The private sector partners from the Committee underscored that rampant rice importation, particularly of cheaper foreign rice, has exerted immense downward pressure on domestic prices, severely impacting the livelihoods of Filipino rice farmers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Another concern raised was regarding the NFA’s limited market influence and resources due to its reduced mandate under the existing RTL.<\/span><\/p>\n

Among the recommendations presented by the Committee were to:<\/span><\/p>\n