Growing rice consumption in the Philippines has created a host of challenges and opportunities for stakeholders, as an ongoing lack of mechanisation and post-harvest inefficiencies have prevented the government from meeting its goal of achieving rice self-sufficiency. Although palay (unhusked rice) production has made steady gains in recent years, farmers continue to face high costs due to the lack of technological uptake. This has led to heavy importation, with the current administration recently awarding two high-value contracts to foreign firms for buffer stock supply. Mechanisation, most likely to be achieved through private sector investment, represents a promising means of increasing rice production in the future.
