The Philippines is entering a precarious phase in its rice security. Vietnam’s ST25 rice, which won global recognition as the “World’s Best Rice” in 2019, is now being cultivated on a much larger scale, signaling a shift in Vietnam’s export strategy toward premium varieties. As hectarage expands, Vietnamese producers are expected to command higher export prices, especially as global demand for high-quality rice rises in markets such as China, Europe, and the Middle East. For the Philippines, this is particularly alarming because around 90 percent of its rice imports are from Vietnam, making the country highly vulnerable to price shocks. […]... Keep on reading: PH faces rice crisis amid Vietnam’s rising export prices, domestic production decline