The government is currently pushing for a review of its rice sufficiency data, citing that the expected record-high palay (unmilled rice) production in 2012 is “already enough” to cover consumption requirements of the 95.8 million Filipinos.

Dante Delima, Department of Agriculture assistant secretary and National Rice Program coordinator, said that they would start by February 2013 the review of rice sufficiency targets in line with the latest population and per capita consumption data provided by the National Statistics Office.

For 2012, Delima said that palay production is likely to reach 18.03 million metric tons (MT) to 18.05 million metric tons, higher than 17.98 million MT forecast of the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics.

Meanwhile, the total population of the Philippines as of May 10, 2010 was placed around 92.337 million based on the 2010 Census of Population and Housing. The census counts up to the barangay level were made official with the signing by President Benigno Aquino 3rd of Proclamation No.362 in March 2012.

With a 1.90-percent annual growth rate, the country’s total population is now estimated at about 95.8 million with per capita rice consumption placed at 115 kilos. At this rate, annual rice consumption is pegged at 11.02 million MT, he added.

“If we compare the population rate with our production of 18.03 million MT, minus the 351,763MT seed requirement for planting, our total rice equivalent at 65 percent recovery rate is around 11.492 million MT… more than enough to supply our food requirement,” Delima said.

At present, the National Rice Program is using 119 kilos per capita under its rice self-sufficiency roadmap. But even at the current consumption rate, Delima said that the country still have a surplus in rice production as compared to the actual population.

Delima, however, said that consumption requirement excludes the rice wastage and use in other purpose other than food, saying that the review will confirm their estimates.

“That is why is important that we conduct a review of all the figures/data with regard to our consumption. This will confirm that we are already sufficient in our rice production,” he said.

The DA official said that the government may still import about 100,000MT of rice this year to be used as buffer stock, noting that the government needs to secure at least a 90-day rice supply to ensure stable prices.

“Traditionally, we are only required to have at least 30-day buffer stock. But for security proposes, we have hiked our rice stock requirement to about 90 days. This will help the National Food Authority [NFA] to stabilize prices and ensure that we have enough supply of rice should there be calamities,” he said.

As of December 2012, the BAS said that country’s rice stock inventory was pegged at 2.61 million metric tons, enough for the next three months.

It added that the household stocks would last for 39 days, while stocks in commercial warehouses would last for 20 days and those in NFA depositories would be good for 18 days.