The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Tuesday assured the public that there is enough affordable supply of rice in the market as the country has almost completed the wet season harvest.

“We have harvested about 90 percent of palay across the nation, bought at PHP22.00 per kilogram,” DA Assistant Secretary and Spokesperson Arnel de Mesa said in a statement.

He added that the volume is currently sold at an average of PHP23 to PHP25 per kilo farmgate price.

The average retail price for regular well-milled is PHP42.80 per kilo while the price for well-milled is PHP45 per kilo.

De Mesa noted that the possible movement in price is “an adjustment as only a few areas remain harvestable from the current wet season”.

For November and December, he said a total yield of 3.063 million metric tons (MMT) of rice is expected.

“Based on data and information from the Philippine Rice Information System, it is generally a good harvest year for the Filipino rice farmers,” he added.

The national rice outlook for the year will reach around 20 MMT.

Earlier, the DA launched its “Be RICEponsible” campaign in celebration of the National Rice Awareness Month.

The campaign which will be observed by the agency until 2028 aims to educate everyone about the importance of every grain of rice considering the complicated process of its production.

On the other hand, the DA assured the public that its programs and policies implemented under the leadership of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. have proven effective in improving the country’s rice production and enhancing the competitiveness of local rice farmers. (PNA)