Manila keen to deepen agricultural trade with Telangana

Uttam says talks could open a major overseas market for State’s farmers, millers, seed companies and food processors

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Telangana’s emerging trade partnership with the Philippines is poised to move beyond rice, with the Southeast Asian nation evincing keen interest in importing high-quality seeds and meat products from the State, Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister Capt. N. Uttam Kumar Reddy said today.

Following a meeting in New Delhi with Philippines Secretary of Agriculture Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr., Uttam Kumar Reddy said the discussions had opened up prospects for a much wider agricultural trade relationship.

“The Philippines has shown keen interest not only in purchasing more rice from Telangana but also in sourcing high-quality seeds and meat products. This could develop into a significant and diversified agricultural trade partnership,” he said.

Significantly, the Philippines has indicated its willingness to procure additional quantities of Telangana rice at a competitive price. The price is considered among the best Telangana has secured for its rice in the export

Uttam Kumar Reddy said the Philippines now offered considerable potential for scaling up Telangana's rice exports, given the country's large and continuing dependence on imported rice. Philippine rice consumption was estimated at around 17.6 million metric tonnes (MMT) in 2025-26. Its domestic paddy production, estimated at about 19.52 MMT, translates into a substantially smaller quantity after milling, leaving a gap between domestic rice availability and consumption.

The scale of the opportunity is reflected in the country's imports. The Philippines imported about 2.38 MMT of rice from different countries during January-May 2026 alone, around 16.5 per cent higher than in the corresponding period of the previous year.

Against this backdrop, Uttam Kumar Reddy said Telangana was positioning itself as a reliable and competitive supplier to the Philippine market. Sustained exports could provide a major alternative market for the State's surplus rice while benefiting farmers and the rice-milling industry.

The Minister said the latest discussions were particularly encouraging because they had widened from a rice-specific engagement into a broader agricultural trade dialogue. Telangana has a strong seed industry and significant capabilities in food and meat processing. Access to the Philippine market could therefore create new opportunities for farmers, seed companies, rice millers, meat processors and other agri-based industries in the State.

Uttam Kumar Reddy said the State government's objective was to secure stable international markets rather than depend solely on occasional export opportunities.

Expanding Telangana's agricultural footprint in countries such as the Philippines would strengthen the farm-to-export value chain, improve market opportunities for producers and encourage further investment in processing and value addition, he said.

During the meeting, the Philippines Agriculture Secretary was invited to visit Hyderabad and participate in the Telangana Rising Summit scheduled for December 2026.

Uttam Kumar Reddy said the proposed participation could take the engagement to the next level by bringing together government representatives and businesses to explore concrete partnerships in rice, seeds, meat products, food processing and other areas of agricultural trade.

The discussions in New Delhi are expected to pave the way for further engagement aimed at transforming the existing rice trade into a broader, long-term Telangana–Philippines agricultural partnership.