Philippines Government still undecided on rice imports

THE government will wait for the third crop of rice to be harvested before deciding whether it would import milled rice to beef up local stocks for 2013, it was learned on Wednesday.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala said the National Food Authority (NFA) council may not decide on rice imports this month.

“[The Philippines] does not need [a big volume] of rice. Hindi tayo nagmamadali [We are not in a hurry]. We will make an announcement [on rice imports] possibly [in late] January or early February,” Alcala said.

The agriculture chief said that many palay (unhusked-rice) farmers were encouraged to plant a third crop under the early-cropping scheme of the government.

Under this scheme, farmers were enjoined to plant a month earlier or by April for the wet cropping season in 2012. Harvest then started in August. The plan also called for a third cropping, which started in October.

The scheme also enjoined farmers to avoid the period when strong typhoons usually visit the country, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).

The Philippines gets 60 percent of its annual palay harvest from the main wet-season cropping; the rest, from the dry-season cropping.

Earlier, Alcala said the DA is not keen on importing rice this year after a record palay harvest was projected last year.

According to the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS), the Philippines will increase its palay output by 7.7 percent on year to 17.98 million metric tons (MMT) for 2012.

Unmilled-rice output in July to December 2012 is projected to increase by 10.7 percent on year to 10.08 MMT.

Last year the government authorized the importation of 500,000 metric tons (MT) of rice, the bulk of which—380,000 MT—was purchased by the private sector. The NFA bought the rest.

The government entered the international rice market in March.

The 120,000 MT of rice bought by the NFA augmented its stocks as per its mandate to have 30 days’ worth of stocks when the lean season for rice starts in July.