Producing enough rice to feed the growing Filipino population remains a daunting challenge. Population increased rapidly from 92 million in 2010 to 109 million in 2022, confounded by rising per capita net rice disposable consumption, from 114 kg/year to 136 kg/year during the same decade. Although milled rice production grew substantially, from 10.3 million metric tons (Mt) to 12.9 million Mt, it was not enough to cater to the increasing […]

Palay farmgate price is a key consideration in a farmer’s decision to plant: a high price pushes them to cultivate rice in larger areas; a low price could make them plant other crops. Consequently, the rise and fall in farmgate price heavily influences changes in wholesale and retail prices of milled rice, compromising the affordability of rice among consumers. With rice eating up the largest share in food expenditures, it […]