The Department of Agriculture (DA) said the decline in the inflation rate of rice in January is attributed to government interventions to stabilize prices, particularly the tariff cut on the staple food last year.
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), rice posted a year-on-year deflation of -2.3% last month, a prominent decrease from 0.8 percent in December 2024.
The PSA reported that this is the lowest inflation rate for rice since June 2020, which posted a -2.3 percent.
Current price trends suggest that the deflation in rice prices will continue through July 2025.
DA Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa told reporters on Wednesday, Feb. 15, that the “main…