Super El Niño Aid for Farmers, Plus Palay Stocks and Fuel Prices
The Super El Niño leads the farm news from September 28 to October 6, 2026. The Department of Agriculture says there is enough food and more aid for farmers is coming, while Cagayan Valley counts heavy farm losses. We also cover lower palay stocks, cheaper diesel, pricier gasoline, a drop in farm exports and new research at UPLB, each with what it means for your farm.
Looking for today's price? See palay price today and fertilizer price in the Philippines.
10 stories from Rappler, Daily Tribune, Philstar, Inquirer, Khmer Times and GMA News. Each one comes with what it means for your farm and a link to the full report.
Most of this week's news points the same way. A dry stretch is coming, and the months ahead will reward farmers who plan their water, their inputs and their cash early. Here is what happened, and what we would do about it on a palay farm.
Super El Niño and the Dry Months Ahead
DA Says Food Supply Is Enough, and More Farm Aid Is Coming
The Department of Agriculture says the country has enough food to get through the Super El Niño. It has asked for P45 billion in aid for farmers, and more funds are planned for next year, when the dry spell is expected to get worse.
Aid usually reaches the farmers who are already on the list. Make sure your RSBSA registration is up to date and that your municipal agriculturist knows your farm, your crop and your water source. If your field depends on rain, ask now which programs cover seed, fertilizer or water pumps for the dry months.
Kadalasan, ang ayuda ay napupunta sa mga nakalista na. Siguraduhing updated ang RSBSA registration mo at alam ng municipal agriculturist ang bukid, pananim, at patubig mo. Kung sahod-ulan ang sakahan, magtanong na agad kung anong programa ang may binhi, fertilizer, o water pump para sa tagtuyot.
Rappler, October 6
Read the full report at Rappler
Cagayan Valley Counts P4.96 Billion in El Niño Farm Losses
The Super El Niño is already hurting farms, and Cagayan Valley has taken the biggest share of the damage, with farm losses of P4.96 billion.
Cagayan Valley grows much of the country's corn and rice, so losses there can push up the price of seed and feed later in the season. If your province is also drying out, take it as an early warning. Plan a shorter season, save every bit of water you can, and keep some cash aside in case you need to plant again.
Dahil malaking bahagi ng mais at palay ng bansa ang galing sa Cagayan Valley, ang pagkalugi doon ay pwedeng magpamahal sa presyo ng binhi at feed sa susunod. Kung natutuyo na rin ang probinsya mo, maagang babala ito. Magplano ng mas maikling season, magtipid sa bawat patak ng tubig, at magtabi ng konting pera sakaling kailangang magtanim uli.
Daily Tribune, October 6
Read the full report at Daily Tribune
DA Stocks Up on Food and Farm Inputs
The DA is building up its stocks of food and farm inputs, adding storage, and planning targeted help for the areas expected to be hit hardest.
Seed and fertilizer only help if they arrive before you plant. Ask your local agriculture office when the inputs will be released in your town, and time your land preparation to match. If your area is among the hardest hit, ask about varieties that handle dry spells better.
Makakatulong lang ang binhi at fertilizer kung maabot ka bago magtanim. Tanungin sa lokal na opisina ng agrikultura kung kailan ipapamigay ang farm inputs sa inyong bayan, at itapat dito ang paghahanda ng lupa. Kung kabilang ang lugar mo sa pinakatatamaan, itanong ang mga barayti na mas matibay sa tagtuyot.
Philstar, October 4
Read the full report at Philstar
Palay Stocks and the Rice Supply
Palay Stocks Fell in September, Just Before the Harvest
Rice supply dropped in September, with lower stocks in households and at the National Food Authority, as worries about drought grow.
Lower stocks before the main harvest can mean firmer palay prices when you sell. So before you sell to the first buyer, check the buying price in two or three places, and dry your palay well so you are not docked for moisture. If you have dry, safe storage, you can hold part of the harvest for a few weeks while prices move.
Ang mas mababang supply bago mag-ani ay pwedeng magpatatag sa presyo ng palay pag nagbenta ka. Kaya bago ka magbenta sa unang buyer, magtanong muna ng bilihan sa dalawa o tatlong lugar, at patuyuing maigi ang palay para hindi mabawasan sa moisture. Kung may tuyo at ligtas kang imbakan, pwedeng itabi muna ang parte ng ani habang gumagalaw ang presyo.
Inquirer, October 6
Read the full report at Inquirer
Cambodia Starts Direct Sea Shipments of Rice to the Philippines
Cambodia wants a bigger share of the Philippine rice market, helped by a new direct shipping route and rising demand here.
More imported rice arriving faster can keep the farm gate price of palay from climbing, even when local stocks are low. That is one more reason to lower your cost per kilo instead of waiting for a high price. The right fertilizer on the right day and fewer wasted sprays do more for your income than a good week at the buying station.
Kapag mas mabilis pumasok ang imported rice, pwedeng mapigilan ang pagtaas ng farm gate price ng palay kahit mababa ang lokal na supply. Isa pang dahilan ito para pababain ang gastos mo kada kilo kaysa umasa lang sa mataas na presyo. Ang tamang fertilizer sa tamang araw at bawas sa aksayang spray ay mas makakatulong sa kita mo kaysa magandang linggo sa bilihan.
Khmer Times, October 5
Read the full report at Khmer Times
PhilRice and PAGASA Will Share Weather and Rice Data
The DA, through PhilRice, and DOST PAGASA signed an agreement to pool their weather, climate and rice records, so farms can plan better and grow rice that holds up to a changing climate.
Better data should mean better advice on when to plant and when to expect a dry spell. Watch for advisories from PhilRice and your local agriculture office, and set your planting window by the rains, not by habit.
Dahil sa mas magandang data, mas maayos ang payo kung kailan dapat magtanim at kailan aasahan ang tagtuyot. Abangan ang mga babala mula sa PhilRice at sa lokal mong agriculture office. Iayon ang panahon ng pagtatanim sa dating ng ulan, hindi sa nakagawian lang.
Daily Tribune, September 28
Read the full report at Daily Tribune
Fuel Prices and Your Farm Costs
Diesel Down a Little, Gasoline and Kerosene Up on October 6
Gasoline and kerosene prices went up on October 6 while diesel got a small cut. China's halt on exports of refined fuel could tighten supply across Asia even more.
Most farm machines run on diesel, so the rollback helps a little with land preparation and hauling. But China's export halt can push prices back up, so if you have safe storage, this is a good week to fill your diesel for the next round of plowing or pumping.
Karamihan sa makinarya ay diesel ang gamit, kaya makakabawas nang kaunti ang rollback sa paghahanda ng lupa at paghahakot. Pero dahil sa pagtigil ng China sa export, baka tumaas uli ang presyo. Kung may ligtas kang imbakan, magandang linggo ito para magkarga na ng diesel para sa susunod na pag-aararo o pagpapatubig.
Rappler, October 5
Read the full report at Rappler
A Call to Suspend the Excise Tax on Gasoline and Diesel
Sherwin Gatchalian urged the government's economic managers to suspend the excise tax on gasoline and diesel, even for a short time, as fuel prices rise.
A tax suspension would lower what you pay for every liter your hand tractor, pump and delivery trips use. Nothing is decided yet, so budget your season on today's prices and treat any cut as a bonus.
Kapag sinuspinde ang buwis, bababa ang babayaran mo sa bawat litro ng krudo para sa hand tractor, pump, at delivery trips. Pero wala pang pinal na desisyon, kaya ibase muna ang budget sa presyo ngayon at ituring na bonus ang anumang bawas-presyo.
Inquirer, October 5
Read the full report at Inquirer
Farm Exports and New Research
Farm Exports Fell 26.1 Percent in August
Farm export earnings fell to US$554.7 million in August, the lowest since January 2024, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported.
When exports slow, more produce stays at home and buyers have more choice, which can soften prices for export crops such as banana and coconut. If you sell to export buyers, ask them about the volumes they expect for the next few months before you expand.
Kapag bumabagal ang export, mas maraming produkto ang naiiwan sa bansa at mas marami ring mapagpipilian ang mga buyer, kaya pwedeng bumaba ang presyo ng export crops gaya ng saging at niyog. Kung nagbebenta ka sa mga export buyer, alamin muna ang kailangan nilang bulto sa mga susunod na buwan bago ka magpalawak ng tanim.
GMA News, October 6
Read the full report at GMA News
UPLB Opens the Country's First Agricultural Genomics Center
The University of the Philippines Los Baños opened the country's first facility for agricultural genomics, giving researchers the tools to study crops down to their genes.
This work takes years to reach the field, but it is how new varieties that handle drought, pests and salty soil are bred. For this season, ask your seed supplier about the rice varieties already bred for dry conditions.
Matatagalan pa bago umabot sa bukid ang pananaliksik na ito, pero dito nagmumula ang mga bagong barayti na matibay sa tagtuyot, peste, at maalat na lupa. Para sa season na ito, itanong na sa bilihan ng binhi ang mga barayti ng palay na sadyang ginawa para sa tuyong panahon.
GMA News, October 1
Read the full report at GMA News
What to Do on Your Farm This Week
- Check that your RSBSA registration is up to date, so you can receive El Niño aid when it is released.
- Ask your municipal agriculturist when seed and fertilizer for the dry months will be given out in your town.
- Plan your water: clean the canals, fix the leaks in your bunds and think about a variety with a shorter season.
- Fill up on diesel for land preparation and pumps while the price is down, if you can store it safely.
- Before you sell palay, compare the buying price from at least two buyers and dry your harvest well.
anee.io puts every task on a calendar dated from your own planting day, so a dry spell does not catch you unprepared.
- The weather forecast for every lot
- Anee, the smart farm technician, answers in Tagalog or English
- Every peso of fertilizer and fuel on record
Questions About the Super El Niño and This Week's Farm News
Is there enough food for the Super El Niño?
How much aid is coming for farmers because of El Niño?
Did diesel prices go down this week?
Why should farmers care about rice from Cambodia?
- Rappler: Food supply sufficient for Super El Niño, P45 B aid coming for farmers
- Daily Tribune: Cagayan Valley suffers P4.96B in El Niño farm losses
- Philstar: DA to boost food stocks amid 'super El Niño'
- Inquirer: Philippine palay stock shrank in September ahead of harvest
- Khmer Times: Cambodia launches direct sea shipments of rice to Philippines
- Daily Tribune: DA, PAGASA partner to use weather data, rice data for food security
- Rappler: Gasoline, kerosene prices rise on October 6, diesel gets slight rollback
- Inquirer: Oil price hike enough to suspend gasoline, diesel excise tax
- GMA News: PH agri exports decline by 26.1 percent in August 2026, PSA
- GMA News: Philippines' first agricultural genomics center launched at UP Los Baños
