Residents in San Andres buy rice from the Kadiwa Store at the Bureau of Plant and Industry (BPI) covered court in Manila on July 5, 2024, to take advantage of 29 pesos per kilo rice. The Department of Agriculture expanded the stores offering cheap rice to ten in Metro Manila from the initial three, which will be available from Friday to Sunday. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News 

MANILA - Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. has proposed a one-year trial for the P29 per kilo rice program to gather data on sustaining low rice prices while ensuring farmers' incomes.

Dubbed the Bigas29, the program targets vulnerable sectors including indigents, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, solo parents, and indigenous people, covering an estimated 34 million Filipinos.

“We will assess the data comprehensively, backtrack to the farm level and determine what needs to be done to make this program sustainable,” said the DA chief.

Launched earlier this month, the trial involves 10 KADIWA centers in Metro Manila and Bulacan, operating on weekends. The program sources rice from the National Food Authority's aging stocks, purchased by the Food Terminal, Inc., and aims to expand nationwide by August or September.

Laurel said the program will be expanded to cover areas outside Luzon by August or September, and ideally to all the 1,500 municipalities of the country

He emphasized the need for an extended trial to assess the entire supply chain, from seed procurement to retail, identifying cost-saving measures to sustain low consumer prices.

Additionally, the DA is considering rice supplies from contract-growing arrangements and potential imports to support the program.

The DA chief also mentioned the possibility of further price reductions if global rice prices drop, with anticipated increases in production from countries like Vietnam and Thailand and the potential lifting of India's export ban.