NFA eyes importing 0.3-M tons despite rice-cap

The National Food Authority is looking at buying an additional 300,000 metric tons (MT) of rice despite the Department of Agriculture having put a cap on rice imports at 860,000 MT. “I’d play it safe and buy some more pero hindi naman sobra-sobra (but not too much). Three hundred thousand metric tons would be enough," NFA Administrator Angelito Banayo said in a text message to reporters Monday. He said that with the erratic weather pattern of late, this year “a major typhoon may put in peril the country’s food supply." The NFA may present the proposal during the economic managers’ meeting next week. Banayo said that should the economic managers approve the proposal, the total rice importation would still be well below the 1.3 million authorized importation volume for 2011. Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala previously said that there will be no additional importation for the 2011 rice requirement. “We will not be importing additional rice for 2011. Harvest is good," Alcala said in a separate interview. Agriculture Undersecretary for operations Joel Rudinas said the 2011 first semester harvest is likely to reach the 7.6-million MT target as estimated by the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics. The government facilitated the importation of 860,000 MT rice through a mixture of government-to-government negotiations and auctions that were opened to private sector participation. Of the auctioned volume, about 255,348 MT have been awarded to 11 companies and 2 cooperatives that were short-listed after passing the eligibility round. Banayo said the NFA may award the remaining volume on or before April 15. As much as 404,652 MT rice remain to be awarded to the private sector. The government has entered into a government-to-government agreement with Vietnam for the delivery of 200,000 MT. Banayo did not say if the proposed additional 300,000 MT rice will be by auction or by procurement through government-to-government transactions or a combination of both. — MRT/VS, GMA News