DA assures enough stock of basic agricultural commodities amid dry spell

The Department of Agriculture (DA) assured on Tuesday of sufficient supply of rice, corn, sugar, pork, chicken and other basic necessities in the coming months despite the dry spell affecting the country.

“Secretary Kiko (Francisco Tiu) Laurel just briefed the President that all our crops commodities especially for rice and corn, pork and chicken were very stable and there will be no problem in the coming months. So, we don’t need to worry,” Agriculture Undersecretary Roger Navarro said in a press briefing in Malacañang.

Navarro made the statement after a sectoral meeting in Malacañang in which Laurel presented to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. the supply outlook and measures being undertaken to ensure sufficient supply of basic agricultural commodities during El Niño.

Based on the Rice Supply and Demand Outlook for 2024, rice supply in the country will be stable until the end of the year with an annual average surplus of 3.7 million metric tons or 99 days of buffer or days to last.

For Corn, the supply will likewise be sufficient until the fourth quarter of 2024 with annual 42 days of buffer. The supply of pork will likewise be steady with annual surplus of 54 days while chicken supply is abundant with an annual stock that will last 181 days.

Eggs will also be adequate with an annual supply that will last 189 days. The same is true for onions, sugar and fish, according to Laurel.
With regard to rice supply, Navarro said it is important to ensure sufficient supply because any shortage will dramatically increase prices. He said the high price of rice is not only being experienced in the Philippines but in other countries including the rice-producing states such as Thailand and Vietnam because of the universal high prices of farm inputs such as fertilizer and seeds. PND