The price for the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) ‘Rice-for-All’ program (RFA25) will be reduced from P40 to P38 per kilogram, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. announced on Thursday.
In a press release, the DA stated that during a joint public market inspection with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Cristina Roque, Laurel stated when the price reduction will be taking effect.
“This price reduction will take effect on Friday, just ahead of the implementation of the maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) of P58 per kilo for 5% broken imported rice,” Laurel said.
The MSRP for imported rice will be enforced by Monday, January 20. It will target markets in Metro Manila, but the department is planning to extend the program to other key cities nationwide. The measure will also be reviewed monthly to reflect fluctuations in the global market prices and tariff prices.
“Should imported rice prices frequently exceed the MSRP, the DA intends to implement a stricter Suggested Retail Price (SRP) framework accompanied by fines and penalties for violations,” the DA said.
Laurel said that the MSRP framework includes a nominal profit margin of P10 per kilogram, which is above the landed cost of imported rice. However, this excludes speciality rice varieties like malagkit, Japanese, and black rice.
“If world rice prices remain stable, we anticipate a reduction in the MSRP after the February review,” Laurel stated.
Aside from the RFA25, the DA mentioned that other critical components under President Ferdinand Marcos’ KADIWA initiative are:
- RFA5 which contains 5% broken grains, is priced at P45 per kilogram
- RFA100 a 100% broken variety, known as “Sulit Rice,” priced at P36 per kilogram
According to the DA, the Rice-for-All program is complemented by P29 rice to guarantee wider access to affordable rice varieties, which are being expanded across public markets and KADIWA centers.
