Photo by Benjie Cuaresma
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has provided assurance to the general public that the price of rice will soon find stability, coinciding with the commencement of the harvest season in the major rice-producing regions of the nation.
In a video message released by the Presidential Communications Office on Friday, Marcos conveyed that the government is maintaining a vigilant watch over both the supply and pricing of rice.
“We are diligently overseeing the rice supply and closely monitoring the upward movement of rice prices,” articulated the President.
He communicated being apprised of the initiation of rice harvesting in Nueva Ecija, Isabela, and North Cotabato.
Marcos, concurrently overseeing the Department of Agriculture, conveyed the administration’s scrutiny of the farmgate prices. He maintained a positive outlook, asserting that rice prices will regain equilibrium once there’s a substantial supply and an ample reserve of this essential staple.
In the preceding week, Marcos asserted that the nation’s rice stockpile could sustain itself even following the impending El Niño episode.
“The rice scenario is well within control and stability. The Philippines possesses an adequate rice reserve that extends beyond the period of El Niño next year,” he affirmed.
Leo Sebastian, the Agriculture Undersecretary for Rice Industry Development, disclosed that an estimated 900,000 metric tons (MT) of rice have already been harvested in Isabela, Nueva Ecija, and North Cotabato. (ai/mnm)
