Rising bread, pasta demand to whet Phl wheat imports

Filipinos' growing demand for pasta and other-wheat based products is expected to drive the country's wheat imports in the current market year to a record level of 7.15 million metric tons (MT), an international agency projected.

- BY JASPER EMMANUEL ARCALAS

The United States Department of Agriculture-Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA-FAS) in Manila forecasts the country's wheat imports in market year 2024-2025 to expand by more than three percent to 7.15 million MT from 6.915 million MT in the previous market year.

A market year begins in July and ends in June of the following year, according to the international agency.

"The primary drivers for the growth in imports for MY 2024/25 are increased demand for bread and pasta from households and food establishments (for milling wheat), and reduction in the local production of feed corn due to fall armyworm infestation on major cornproducing regions in the country (for feed wheat)," the USDA-FAS Manila said in a recent report.