THE data provided by the Philippine Rice Information System program tells us everything on why we keep on importing rice. Of the total land area in the country, only less than a third — at 30 percent — are suitable for rice cultivation, or around 2,062,702 hectares. This percentage is just half, or even less, when compared to the 60 to 70 percent of areas in Thailand and Vietnam, where rice can be grown. On the demand side, Thailand has only 70 million people, and Vietnam has 93 million, while the Philippines has 104 million.
Furthermore, the rice-growing areas in Vietnam and Thailand are contiguous, while that of the Philippines are mainly in Luzon, specifically in Cagayan Valley and Central Luzon. The Philippines is an archipelago, and the logistics required by the domestic rice supply chain would be much more challenging, and thus more expensive.
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