Palay is currently selling at a low of P13 a kilo.* Ronnie Baldonado file photo
Negros Occidental will not face a rice shortage with the 60-day suspension of rice importation, which begins on September 1, a Department of Agriculture (DA) official said on Thursday, August 7.
DA Negros Island Region Director Jose Albert Barrogo said that Negros Occidental is 86 percent rice self-sufficient.
The province gets its additional rice needs from Panay, he said.
Barrogo noted that Negros Oriental and Siquijor may be affected by the suspension because their rice self-sufficiency is low. He said their rice is imported from Cebu.
The suspension of rice importation will help local farmers sell their palay at higher prices, Barrogo said.
Palay is now selling for as low as ₱13 a kilo, he said, which is barely enough to cover production costs.*