Philippines puts 60-day ban on rice imports to protect local farmers
The suspension period will cover the country’s peak harvest season, when domestic supplies are adequate
Agriculture Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa said the suspension period covered the country’s peak harvest season, when domestic supplies were adequate.
Output of paddy rice, usually planted twice a year, reached 8.2 million tonnes (9 million tons) in the first half of the year. The government is targeting to produce a record 18.5 million tonnes (20.5 million tons) for the full year.
Last year, the government cut the import duty on rice to 15 per cent from 35 per cent until 2028 in a bid to tame inflation. Rice prices in the Philippines dropped by a record 15.9 per cent last month.
The announcement comes after Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jnr pushed for a temporary halt in imports of the national staple as well as an increase in rice import tariffs. He has said an influx of imported rice was hurting local producers and could force millers to shut operations.