Phl to remain as world's top rice importer in 2025

The Philippines will remain as the world's largest rice importer in 2025 for the third consecutive year as the country turns to foreign supplies to feed its growing population.

- JASPER EMMANUEL ARCALAS ,

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) made this projection in its monthly global grains market report, making its first forecast for calendar year 2025.

The USDA’s initial forecast pegs the Philippines’ total rice imports next year at 4.2 million metric tons (MT) to meet the “continued” increase in consumption that is driven by both growth in population and tourism.

The projected volume is 100,000 MT higher than the county‘s estimated 4.1 million MT of rice imports for this year, according to the USDA.

“The Philippines is expected to again be the largest global rice importer,” the international agency said recently.

If the projection materializes, then it would be the third consecutive year that the country would import the most rice in the global market, based on USDA data.