Philippines falls short on rice imports
Agence France-Presse
First Posted 16:50:00 04/18/2008
MANILA -- A Philippines tender for 500,000 tons of imported rice has fallen short with just 325,750 tons offered, the government said Friday.
Thursday's tender for rice imports highlighted difficulties faced by Manila and fellow rice importers in stocking up on the staple cereal amid surging prices that has triggered food riots in some countries.
The National Food Authority, the main agency tasked with importing rice, said traders told the government agency there was simply no more rice available.
However newspaper reports said the traders were seeking a price higher than the $872.50 to $1,220 per ton offered by the food authority.
Officials said that despite the failure to fill the order completely, the Philippines still had enough rice reserves to avoid a shortage.
They also expressed confidence that a similar tender for 500,000 tons of rice in May will be met as foreign governments had made commitments the supplies would be available.
Meanwhile, military chief General Hermogenes Esperon said Friday that special government-subsidized rice would be sold at military commissaries to ensure that soldiers and their families would be able to afford the staple.
"Our soldiers must also have access to cheaper rice," Esperon said as he thanked President Gloria Arroyo for granting his request to make this rice -- normally reserved for the poorest families, available to soldiers.
The Arroyo government has put down two military mutinies in the past.
Soldiers and the military have been assigned to guard government rice warehouses and to crack down on hoarders and price manipulators in the Philippines, which is among the world's largest rice importers.
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