By Brian Campued
To help reduce the prices of rice sold in markets, the Department of Agriculture (DA) will strengthen its Rice-for-All Program by introducing cheaper and healthier rice options for consumers.
In an interview with the media, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel Jr. said the “sulit” and “nutri” rice will be available in Kadiwa ng Pangulo stores in 2025.
Starting January, the sulit rice will be priced at P35-P36 per kilo, cheaper than the P40 per kilo currently sold in Kadiwa outlets.
“Yung sulit rice is 100% broken… pero it comes from the good variety of rice,” Laurel said.
Meanwhile, the nutri rice will be available in the second quarter of 2025 priced at P36 to P37 per kilo—a cheaper and healthier option as it undergoes only one milling pass unlike the usual three passes.
“Ang regular rice na binibili natin ngayon is three-pass [milling]. ’Pag three-pass, nawawala ang lahat ng minerals, nutrients, plus fiber… Sa one-pass [milling], lahat ng nutrients at fiber nandiyan pa rin,” the DA chief said.
One-pass milling also poses a higher milling recovery of 78%, higher than the 63% recovery from the three-pass milling process, resulting in the production of more rice with the same amount of palay, according to Laurel.
Under the Rice-for-All Program, the DA sells well-milled rice at P40 per kilo in Kadiwa centers and kiosks in Metro Manila, as well as in public markets and train stations. (with report from Cleizl Pardilla/PTV News)
-iro
