Rice Prices Decline in Negros Oriental Due to Importation and Local Production

NEGROS ORIENTAL — Rice prices in Negros Oriental have seen a slight decrease following recent importations and contributions from local production, according to officials from the Department of Agriculture (DA). This price adjustment comes as a relief to consumers who faced higher rates in previous months.

According to Philippines News Agency, the decrease in prices has been influenced by the necessity to supplement insufficient local yields with imports. “The volume of our local production of rice is not enough to feed the requirements of the province, thus the need to import rice,” Rafal stated, highlighting that the province’s self-sufficiency in rice production is only 32 percent annually.

Rice traders in the region reported a decrease in the price of a 50-kg sack of premium rice, now selling for approximately PHP2,500, down from around PHP2,800. The recent arrivals of rice shipments from Vietnam have played a crucial role in this price reduction. The province received 4,100 metric tons of rice in April and an additional 2,050 metric tons in July, which helped stabilize the local market.

Danford Sy, president of New Bian Yek Commercial, Inc. and a major rice trader in the area, noted that Negros Oriental is fortunate to have secured these imports, which contrasts with other provinces like Cebu that are struggling due to weather-related distribution challenges.

The direct importation has evidently contributed to reducing rice costs, making the staple more affordable for residents while addressing the shortfall caused by local production deficits and the impact of the El Niño-triggered drought on rice farming in the region.