THE rice inventory at the start of January fell 5.1% year on year to 1.77 million metric tons (MT), according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
“Relative to the same period of the previous year’s inventory level of 1.86 million metric tons, a decline of about 5.1% was recorded,” the PSA said in a report.
On a month-on-month basis, the rice inventory in early January fell 30.3%.
As of Jan. 1, rice held by households, accounting for 60.4% of the total inventory, rose 7.6 year on year to 1,066.85 thousand MT. Rice held by commercial warehouses, wholesalers, and retailers declined 11.5% to 583.73 thousand MT, accounting for a 33.1% share of the national inventory.
Rice held by the National Food Authority (NFA) decreased 44.8% to 114.91 thousand MT, for a 6.5% share of the national inventory.
The corn inventory as of Jan. 1 dropped 14% from a year earlier to 463.13 thousand MT.
On a month-on-month basis, corn stocks declined 44.3%.
Corn stocks held by households increased 6.6% year on year to 78.85 thousand MT.
Corn held by commercial warehouses, wholesalers, and retailers fell 59.8% year on year to 357.28 thousand MT. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera