2.1-MMT rice imports just 45% of volume applied for

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THE country’s rice imports last year reached 2.079 million metric tons (MMT), less than half of the 4.5 MMT that eligible importers applied for last year, the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) reported.

Latest BPI data obtained by the BusinessMirror showed that 217 rice traders, cooperatives, farmers’ associations and firms obtained 5,331 sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance (SPS-IC) to import 4.588 MMT of rice last year.

However, BPI data showed that only 193 qualified importers imported rice using 2,785 SPS-ICs, representing a total volume of 2.079 MMT, which is 45.31 of the total applied volume last year.

The total volume of rice imports last year was 30 percent lower than the record-high of nearly 3 MMT volume in 2019.

BPI data showed that Vietnam was the top source of rice imports last year as it accounted for nearly 87 percent of the total imports or about 1.808 MMT.

It was followed by Myanmar at 153,174.984 MT and Thailand at 68,604.98 MT, based on BPI data.

The other countries where qualified rice importers purchased the staple were: China (26,130 MT), India (10,822 MT), Pakistan (9,132 MT), Singapore (1,884), South Korea (1,000 MT), Taiwan (300 MT), Cambodia (200 MT), Japan (9.6 MT), Italy (5.68 MT) and Spain (0.312 MT), BPI data.

BPI data showed that Gold and Perfect Corp. topped the list of rice importers last year as it brought in 110,541.250 MT of rice followed by Arvin International Marketing Inc. with 100,029.899 MT.

Puregold Price Club Inc., the leading rice importer in 2019, fell to 15th spot at 34,449.348 MT of imported rice, based on BPI data.

BPI data showed that rice importers brought in the most staple in the month of May at 384,613.915 MT, while they imported the least volume in November at 52,505.5 MT.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) earlier said the country’s rice imports this year could decline by 15.5 percent to 1.69 MMT due to the projected record-high palay harvest of 20.48 million.

Agriculture Undersecretary Ariel T. Cayanan said they project full-year domestic palay production this year to reach 20.48 MMT, 5.35 percent higher than the estimated output of 19.44 MMT last year.

The higher production this year would bring the country’s rice self-sufficiency level to 95 percent from last year’s 90 percent.

This means that the country would only import about 5 percent of its total domestic rice requirement which is about 1.69 MMT, Cayanan said.