Philippine Standard time

Policy Support to Marketing System of Organic Rice


The marketing system of organic rice in the Philippines can be considered to be in its infancy stage, even though organic rice production in the country has started as early as the mid-1980s. This study looked into the gaps in the marketing system and tried to recommend appropriate policy support to help the organic rice farmers and traders in the country. In terms of market structure, the number of organic rice farmers and traders is still few. Market channels and the consequent flow of goods remain limited to private traders, which are either tapped by the cooperative or farmers’ association, or to government agencies particularly those units dealing with the agricultural sector.

The price premium for organic palay has to be reexamined not only to entice the farmers to keep on planting organic rice but also to determine a market price that could fuel consumer demand at the local level. Government-led marketing strategies may work in the short run but not in the long run. The high cost of certification and labeling prevents smallholder farmers from tapping the growing global demand for the product. The study further recommends that future studies examine organic rice branding and product positioning to boost local consumer demand.


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