The Philippines, one of the world’s biggest rice buyers, has no urgent need to import rice for now given ample domestic supply, incoming agriculture secretary Emmanuel Piñol said yesterday. The Philippines regularly imports more than a million tonnes of rice a year, mostly from Thailand and Vietnam, although incoming President Rodrigo R. Duterte is aiming to make the country self-sufficient within one to two years. “I was informed by the National Food Authority (NFA) that we have supply good to last for about 103 days. I think there is no need to import rice for now,” Piñol told reporters in a joint media briefing with his predecessor, Secretary Proceso Alcala. AGRI TALK – Incoming Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel ‘Manny’ Piñol (left) listens intently as incumbent Secretary Proceso Alcala explains a point during a transition meeting at the Department of Agriculture (DA) head office in Quezon City Wednesday. (Mark Balmores) Rice purchases [...]
