Rice, meat supply enough for holidays in the Philippines: DA

MANILA – The Department of Agriculture (DA) expressed confidence on Wednesday that the country has sufficient supply of rice and meat, a few months before Christmas. In a statement, the DA said the majority of the rice supply comes from the local production of Filipino farmers. “A big chunk of the supply comes from the locally produced rice, and production of farmers will be enough to meet the demand towards the end of the year,” the DA said. On the other hand, adjustments in the prices of rice in the market may be felt due to the effects of drought in China. “Retail prices, however, might be affected by the ongoing drought in China due to its implications in the cost of palay production, as well as the presence of rice varieties from other countries. Despite this, the DA confirmed that local production is enough,” it added. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the country has recorded a steady increase in rice stocks inventory reaching up to 2,034.57 metric tons (MT) ...