Philippines’ Rice Imports Projected to Rise Higher in 2025

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ByHui Yin

According to the data released by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Philippines is projected to remain the world’s biggest importer of rice in 2025. The Philippines seeks to cater to the continued growth in consumption, with local data pointing to a decline in production in the first three months of the year.

The monthly global gains report for May showed that the Philippines’ rice imports were projected to climb even higher in the coming year than the expected 4.1 million metric tons (MT).

“The Philippines imports are forecast up to a record 4.2 million tons on continued growth in consumption. The Philippines is expected to again be the largest global rice importer,” the report read.

The USDA cited the expected growth in population and increased tourism for the expected increase in imports, with the latest data indicating 109.03 million Filipinos as of May 2020, and over 2 million foreign tourists in the country from January to April 2024.

The USDA expected the country to import 4.1 million MT in 2024, an increase from the 3.9 million MT estimated in February. The agency’s revision cited a “smaller crop” due to the impact of the ongoing El Niño phenomenon and strong purchases from Vietnam.

In the latest data available from the Philippines Statistics Authority (PSA), there was a 2.0% decline in the production of palay or unmilled rice in the first quarter of 2024.

Hui Yin moved from Hong Kong 🇭🇰 to the USA 🇺🇸 when she was just 8 years old. Now in her late 20's she enjoys writing and taking long walks in the park to burn off the copious amounts of rice she eats for dinner.