THIS early, rice imports have surpassed last year's level and could hit 4.2 million metric tons (MT) by the end of 2024, Department of Agriculture (DA) technical advisory group member and former undersecretary for rice industry development Leocadio Sebastian said on Wednesday at the International World Rice Conference Summit in Manila.
Citing data from the DA-Bureau of Plant Industry, Sebastian noted that as of Oct. 30, foreign shipments of the staple had totaled 3.8 million MT, exceeding the 3.6 million MT in 2023.
