The government says building buffer stocks ahead of a possible El Niño is more urgent, while farmers seek stronger support and better palay prices.
Inflation among the bottom 30% of income households rose to 8.2%, driven by higher prices of food, electricity, and other essential expenses.
The mechanization rollout aims to boost productivity, but many farmers continue to struggle with high production costs, limited irrigation, and low returns.
Refrigerating and reheating rice can make it slightly friendlier for blood sugar and gut health
The study estimated that a person could ingest about 1,788 particles yearly from salt, 298 from sugar, and 469 from rice.
Food inflation slowed to 5.4% as rice, fish and meat posted softer price increases, but vegetable inflation accelerated to 9%, keeping grocery bills uneven for Filipino households.
Competition regulator warns against coordinated pricing as ₱50/kg ceiling takes effect.
