India eyes expansion of rice exports to the Philippines amidst growing trade, with delegations set to visit and explore opportunities.
India is ramping up efforts to increase its rice exports to the Philippines, the world’s leading rice importer. In 2024, India exported approximately USD 413 million in agricultural products to the Philippines, representing around 2 percent of the country’s total such imports.
Despite India being the largest rice exporter globally, its rice shipments to the Philippines were valued at a relatively modest USD 48.9 million in 2024–25, compared with the Philippines’ global rice imports of USD 2.52 billion.
A delegation of Indian exporters, covering rice as well as products like onions, potatoes, groundnuts, and meat, is scheduled to visit the Philippines in early September to explore market potential. In return, Philippine food importers are slated to attend events in India, including World Food India (September 25–28) and the inaugural International Rice Conference (October 30–31, 2025), aiming to strengthen bilateral trade.
These initiatives underscore a strategic push by Indian authorities to tap into a significant but still largely underutilised opportunity in the Philippine rice market.
