AY/VS, GMA News
India, Cambodia, Pakistan are interested in supplying the Philippines with additional rice volume should the Aquino administration need more rice for reasons of food security.
"These are just preliminary discussions. We got assurance that whenever we want to go to market, they are more than willing to provide us the volume we need," National Food Authority (NFA) head Angelito Banayo said in an interview on Tuesday.
NFA representatives met with those of the Cambodia Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries last week to discuss a possible rice supply deal.
Banayo said he will meet with the ambassador of Cambodia this Wednesday, possibly for another rice negotiation.
Cambodia has 15 million people, and has surplus rice that interested countries could buy, according to the NFA head.
He did not specify the stage of talks with India and Pakistan.
The Philippines has an existing rice supply agreement with Vietnam for up to 1.5 million metric tons (MT) of the staple. A memorandum of agreement, recently renewed by both governments, is on until 2013 when the Philippines expects to be self sufficient in rice.
Apart from Vietnam, the NFA earlier said that a draft memorandum of agreement for a similar rice supply deal with Thailand is up for President Aquino’s signature.
Vietnam and Thailand are traditional sources of imported rice for the Philippines. Due to its import volume in recent years, the Philippines has been as the world's top importer the commodity.
The Philippines will import 860,000 MT this year, of which 200,000 MT has already been sourced from Vietnam in a government-to-government agreement under the supply contract between the two countries.
The remaining volume of 660,000 MT shall be brought in by private traders and farmers’ groups in two separate tenders — one in March, the other only last Monday.
When Aquino administration took over the reins of government, the Department of Agriculture said it will try to wipe out rice imports and rely on local production by 2013.
Banayo said rice imports this year may go up if palay production from January to June does not meet the projected production increase of 15.3 percent.
“It will be a different story if the Agricultural Statistics Bureau and the Inter-Agency on Rice and Corn tell us to buy more and if the President tells us to shore up the local supply for reasons of food security," he added.
3 comments:
Anonymous said...
I went to some islands in Koh Kong. Most islands, and along the coast of Puy Yipon( Japanes Coast) Khmer were/are cleared by force to make way for Chinese. Khmer have been live in this islands and coastal area generation after generation. Their way of life were to fish or foraging any sea food. However, now these people were moved to live in the jungle with nothing to eat, dying because there are no hospital, and worst are not allow to plant anything for food. Anybody can see this. To get there, take high way to Koh Kong, after 2nd bridge, take left turn, drive all way, pass Tamor Sor/White Rock, you will see thousands of house built and house our unfortunate Khmer whome have been removed by force to live in a place they do not want to live. Some portion of road are being built by Khmer army for Chinese devlepment, this mean including cut down our trees and ship out to China.Folks, this is not develompent, it is raping our resources, raping our Khmer way of life, raping our culture, and we should not, must not allow this to happen.
11:14 PM
i wonder if khmer still have any land left to do rice
គិតទៅគំនិត្តពួកអាបក្សប្រឆាំងមិនដែលមានគំនិត្តអ្វី
យកមកចំរើនប្រទេសជាតិនោះទេគឺមានតែការបំផ្លាញ
ជាតិទៅវិញ។អាពួកនេះវាមានលុយមកពីណាយកមក
ក៏សាងប្រទេសបើពួកនេះមិនត្រូវជាមួយអ្នកជិតខាងនោះ?ហើយម្យ៉ាងវិញទៀតវាដើរនិយាយថាគណបក្សប្រជាជនកម្ពុជាកាន់អំណាចយូរក៏ប៉ុន្តែខ្លួនឯងធ្វើជាបក្សប្រឆាំងមិនដែលចេះឈ្នះឆ្នោតសោះហើយនៅតែ
ក្រាញរនៀលខំធ្វើមេបក្សដរដែល។និយាយឲ្យគេមិនមើលខ្លួនឯងទាល់តែសោះ។
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