The Department of Agriculture (DA) has created a dedicated office to promote the development of the rice industry and formulate policies to address persistent challenges.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel issued Department Order (DO) No. 26, dated Aug. 26, to establish the interim rice industry development office, also referred to as the RICE office.

Despite the role of rice as the country’s main staple, the DA noted that several challenges continue to plague the local sector, including high production costs and inadequate post-harvest facilities.

“The establishment of a specialized office shall strengthen coordination, monitoring, and strategic implementation of rice development initiatives; maximize the growth potential of the industry; and respond to ongoing and anticipated executive and legislative actions and priorities,” the order read.

Under DO 26, the RICE office is tasked with implementing and overseeing rice-related programs and projects at both the national and regional levels.

Specifically, the new unit is responsible for initiating rice and rice-related programs and projects under the National Rice Program (NRP) and the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF).

It will also formulate and recommend guidelines to establish a unified monitoring and evaluation framework for all rice industry programs implemented across concerned government agencies.

Furthermore, the RICE office will facilitate digitalization initiatives and lead the consolidation of a rice industry database to support planning, monitoring, and decision-making.

The office is headed by the undersecretary for rice industry development and supported by an assistant secretary and two directors.

The formation of a dedicated office to oversee the development of the rice industry comes as the country continues to rely on foreign purchases to help plug the shortfall in local production.

The latest Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) data showed that the country’s rice imports rose by more than a quarter to 3.27 million metric tons (MT) in the first seven months of the year, up from 2.58 million MT in the same period last year.

Vietnam was the top supplier by the end of July with 2.53 million MT, or 77 percent of total volume, BPI data showed.

Tiu Laurel earlier said that rice imports this year will help the country secure enough buffer stocks and prevent a supply shortfall before the next harvest.

The country’s rice output is on track to decline by around 750,000 MT this year due to the potential impact of an extreme El Niño during the fourth quarter.