Rice stocks good for 77 days, says BAS

MANILA, Philippines - As the palay planting season nears the lean season, the country’s May rice stocks remain sufficient for 77 days, according to the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics.

Household stocks as of May could cover requirements for 35 days while stocks in commercial warehouses could last for 24 days.

Stocks held in warehouses of the National food Authority could last for 18  days.

The total rice stock inventory as of May 1, 2013 was placed at 2.61 million metric tons, 12.3 percent higher the previous month’s level of 2.33 million metric tons but 2.2 percent below than the inventory of 2.67 million metric  tons in May 2012.

Month-on-month, holdings in the households increased 12.4 percent in May and those in the commercial warehouses grew 18.8 percent. The volume of stocks in NFA depositories, of which 20 percent were imported rice, was higher by 4.7 percent.

Year-on-year, stocks in the households went up by 1.6 percent while those in commercial warehouses inched up 0.04 percent. However, stocks in NFA depositories dropped 11.4 percent.

Of this month’s total rice stocks, households accounted for 46 percent, commercial warehouses had 31 percent, while NFA shared 23 percent.

The total corn stock inventory as of May 1, meanwhile, was estimated at  230,800 MT, 22.8 percent lower than the previous month’s level of 299, 100 MT but 12.8 percent more than the inventory of 204,700 MT in the same period last year.

Month-on-month corn stock levels fell 57.9 percent in the households and 0.5 percent in commercial warehouses. The volume of stocks in NFA depositories increased from 0.4 thousand metric ton to 2.4 thousand metric tons.

Year-on-year, corn stocks held in the households dropped 21.3 percent. In contrast, those in commercial warehouses increased by 26.9 percent.

Stocks in NFA depositories grew from 0.3 thousand metric ton last year to 2.4  thousand metric tons this year.

Of the current stock level, about 22 percent were with the households and 77 percent were with the commercial warehouses. The remainder was in NFA depositories.