El Nino risks, shifting trade policies and rising fuel and fertiliser prices dominated the 2026 International World Rice Conference, held in the Philippines on 7 to 9 October. It was organised by The Rice Trader with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and co-hosted by the Philippine Rice Industry Stakeholders' Movement, and brought together traders, millers, importers, exporters and officials.
Speakers said geopolitical tension is adding to an already uncertain market, with higher fuel and input costs hitting both importing and exporting countries, while investment in irrigation, precision farming and storage is changing how countries manage production. "The world is an increasingly complicated place where conflicts and volatility greatly affect the risk equation," said Jeremy Zwinger, chief executive of The Rice Trader, who also noted a return of government involvement in the trade, with prices often affected by decisions of a very few people.
IRRI director general Dr Yvonne Pinto said science in a volatile market is also about understanding the forces around it, and that combining signals from governments, traders and researchers can reveal emerging risks earlier. Dr William Dar, senior adviser to the ASEAN Food Security Alliance and a former Philippine agriculture secretary, called for a "resilience revolution" across the chain, from seed to farm, farm to mill, mill to market and market to consumer, moving from reacting to crises to anticipating them.
Panels looked at competition in the world rice trade, changing import policies and conditions in South and Southeast Asia, where shifts in production, trade rules, climate and demand affect regional and global supplies. Pakistan's ambassador to the Philippines, Dr Asima Rabbani, noted that the IRRI-6 variety, introduced to Pakistan through cooperation with the Philippines, is now exported from Pakistan back to the Philippines.
In the annual World's Best Rice contest, Myanmar took first place, Vietnam second and the Philippines third, with special honourable mentions for India and Thailand.
Photo: CocoyAguilar / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Source: IRRI
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