DA weighs new rice import price ceiling

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is studying the imposition of a new maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) on imported rice to prevent a surge in prices amid higher costs in the foreign market and a weaker Philippine peso.

- By DEXTER BARRO II

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel said the agency is now determining the MSRP for rice imports, following the expiration of the ₱43-per-kilo limit during last year’s import ban on the commodity.

“We will announce a new MSRP soon, after evaluation,” he said on the sidelines of the induction ceremony of 2026 Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines (EJAP) officers on Monday night, Feb. 9.

The MSRP, which was introduced in January last year, specifically applies to five-percent broken rice, the country’s most commonly consumed variety of imported rice.

Tiu Laurel indicated that the new MSRP will also cover the same variety following the country’s resumption of rice importation on Jan. 1.

The price cap aims to ensure that retail prices do not exceed ₱50 per kilo amid reports that rice prices in certain areas are already hitting the ₱60 mark.