MANILA, Philippines -- As the deadline for the importation of rice in the private sector nears, the National Food Authority (NFA) believes that more rice traders will bid and purchase imported rice.

Only eight rice traders were present during the second Metro Manila and Cebu tenders on Friday, while no bidders were present in the Davao bidding.

“Siguro sa last day madami na yan [Maybe there will be more on the last day]. We expect the rush of people on the last day,” said deputy administrator Conrado Ibañez, concurrent chairman of the auction committee.

The last tender for the private sector will be on June 27, he said.

Only 7,600 metric tons of rice from the remaining 172,370 MT from omnibus sources were purchased by traders in both Metro Manila and Cebu during the second rice tender. An omnibus source is any foreign country with an import cost of not more than $1,000 per kilogram of rice.

Ibañez said traders could also be waiting for prices of rice in the world market to go down.

Twenty six rice traders from Metro Manila, Cebu, and Davao attended the rice tender for the private sector last July 11. Traders purchased a 27,630 metric tons of rice.

As of posting time, the total purchase of rice from an omnibus source by the private sector was 35,230 MT.

The total purchase made by the private sector for imported rice was 56,790 MT, of which 21,560 MT was purchased during the tender for rice imports by Australia, China, India, and Thailand last May.

Ibañez said that some of the rice imports arrived in the country through container vans and have been stored in warehouses.

“Partial partial kasi ang pagdating niyan [They arrive in batches],” he said.

He added that this year’s importation for both the government and private sector was the highest at 2.3 million metric tons.