FARMGATE: March Palay Harvest Peaks in Region 2-3; Prices Down to P28/kg from P31/kg
TRADERS' STRATEGY: Sun-drying of palay along the Cesar Angeles-Emilio Vergara Bypass Road has become a common sight during the peak harvest season. Traders utilize the wide shoulders of the 6-lane bypass road traversing Cabanatuan City to Santa Rosa, Nueva Ecija, after purchasing fresh harvests from local farmer (Photos Breaking News Online)
FARMGATE Palay harvest Prices Down to P28/kg from P31/kg
By: Leander C. Domingo and Breaking News Online
TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan – AS the first week of March 2026 rolls in, farmgate prices for palay in Northern and Central Luzon have shown signs of stabilization, with dry palay currently trading at P28 per kilogram.
Latest monitoring from farmers’ cooperatives and farmers associations across the four districts of Nueva Ecija indicates that fresh palay is currently fetching P22 or P23 per kilogram at the farmgate level. While this reflects a slight dip from the February high of P31/kg, local producers remain optimistic as prices stay well above the P14-P16 slump of previous years.
Meanwhile, the National Food Authority (NFA) continues to support local producers by purchasing dry palay at P21 per kilogram, according to Danilo Bolos, chairman of the Pag-Asa Farmers Irrigators Association.
Despite the reported price surge, Bolos, pointed out the gap between government intervention and actual market reality. The NFA currently offers P21 per kilogram (Dry), a move Bolos described as a mere “Pang-kiliti“ or “Pang-haplos“—a temporary “tickle” or “soothing touch” that fails to compete with private traders, Bolos clarified.
In a fiery statement, Bolos told Breaking News Online that he challenged national agriculture officials to leave their “air-conditioned offices” and conduct actual on-the-ground studies.
“It is a shame to see officials receiving awards while failing to do their actual jobs on the field,” Bolos remarked, contrasting them with the need for efficient leaders who possess the common sense to truly understand the struggles of local producers in Central and Northern Luzon.
According to Bolos, while the government touts its successes in Manila, the reality for the local farmers in Nueva Ecija remains a battle for fair pricing, where a mere P1 difference in bidding—P21 from the NFA versus P22 from private traders—dictates the survival of their families.
Despite this, Bolos extended an invitation to Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. to witness the upcoming “Harvest Festival” on his 35-hectare SL Agri-tech premium rice farm, which previously yielded a high of 15 to 17 tons during the dry season.
“I don’t know if the Agriculture Secretary will accept my invitation when he reads this,” Bolos added with a laugh, acknowledging the boldness of his earlier statements.
In Nueva Vizcaya and Cagayan, Department of Agriculture (DA) officials attribute the sustained price levels to the “Strategic Planting Calendar” now being implemented nationwide.
“Organized planting schedules have allowed farmers to avoid the typical price crash that follows a synchronized harvest,” said Chief Rosario Pacarangan of Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division (AMAD).
By staggering the harvest flow, farmers in Nueva Ecija, Isabela, and Nueva Vizcaya are successfully avoiding market oversupply that traders often exploit to push prices down.”
In Isabela, dry palay still commands a premium price of up to P31/kg, a massive jump from previous averages. The DA-Region 2 Field Office, headed by Executive Director Rose Mary Aquino, reported that as of early 2026, the region has already harvested over 37,335 metric tons of palay.
The Agriculture Secretary, emphasized that fair farmgate prices are central to the national agenda of poverty reduction and food self-sufficiency.
However, the DA remains vigilant against risks such as input cost inflation-specifically fertilizer and fuel-and potential weather variability like droughts.
To sustain this momentum, the agency is expanding farm-to-market infrastructure and deploying mobile price-checking units. These initiatives aim to protect farmers in remote villages from “low-ball” offers by local traders.
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NOTES: This report is a collaborative effort between veteran journalist Leander C. Domingo and the BreakingNewsOnline.ph editorial team, focusing on the welfare of farmers in Nueva Ecija (region-3) and Nueva Vizcaya (region -2) – BREAKING NEWS ONLINE