The farmgate prices of unmilled rice or palay averaged P21.96 per kilo in November, an increase of 26.6 percent from P17.35 per kilo in the same month a year ago.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said in a report that all regions registered year-on-year growth rates in average farmgate prices of unmilled rice.

On a monthly basis, the farmgate price rose by 6.6 percent from P20.60 per kg in October.

Among the regions, the highest farmgate price was recorded in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) at P24.65 per kg, while the lowest was noted in Eastern Visayas at P18.88 per kg.

Month-on-month, all regions recorded increases in farmgate prices with the highest growth seen in BARMM at 42 percent, while the lowest increase was posted in Davao Region at 0.9 percent.

The PSA earlier reported that palay output is expected to increase in the last quarter to 7.32 million metric tons from 7.22 million metric tons in the same period a year ago.

However, the onset of El Niño which is expected to last until next year and affect over 65 provinces may impact palay production which will increase rice prices.

In response, the Marcos administration ordered to extend the reduction on tariff rates on key commodities such as rice to broaden the options for rice supply

The Department of Agriculture also recently reported that over 500,000 metric tons of imported rice will arrive in the country between December this year and February to counter the impact of the drought phenomenon.

Meanwhile, the Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan said that these interventions should be complemented with long-term solutions such as investments in irrigation, among others.