The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) and Amihan National Federation of Peasant Women condemned anew the Marcos regime and the Department of Agriculture (DA) for implementing the useless maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) on imported rice. Starting March 31, the DA lowered the previous MSRP of ₱49 for 5% broken imported rice to ₱45.

According to KMP and Amihan, this is a band-aid solution that will only worsen the crisis Filipino farmers experience and will not address the lowering of rice prices.

“The government keeps experimenting with rice prices but does not address the root of the problem—the reliance on imported rice and the destruction of local production,” Amihan secretary general and Gabriela Partylist second nominee Cathy Estavillo said.

KMP and Amihan believe that controlling rice prices in the country is impossible due to uncontrolled importation. They said this practice worsens farmers’ losses and exacerbates the damage caused by the Rice Liberalization Law.

The two groups doubt DA’s reasoning that it lowered the MSRP in line with the global market’s drop in rice prices. This move focuses on reducing prices during the peak harvest period for local farmers and thus could further lower palay farmgate prices. In San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, palay is now purchased at only ₱13 per kilo, far below farmers’ production costs.

According to KMP, setting an MSRP in the past months have proven an ineffective solution to the crisis unless the problem of high production costs is addressed. The group stated that real solution lies in strengthening local production and immediately repealing the Rice Liberalization Law.

“The main problem is not just the high price of rice but also the systematic control by private traders and importers over its price and supply. While the government passes the burden onto farmers and consumers, it has no concrete action against hoarding, smuggling, and price manipulation,” KMP chairperson and senatorial candidate of Makabayan Coalition Ka Daning Ramos said.

In 2024, rice imports reached 4.68 million metric tons in the Philippines, possibly exceeding 5.22 million metric tons this 2025.