Philippines Rice Imports To Continue Till 2013

Philippines President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has said that Philippines will need to keep importing rice until at least 2013 to make up for its domestic shortfall, despite the plans to make the country self sufficient by the year 2010.

The Philippines, one of the world's biggest rice importers, has been paying record prices on international markets after some rice-producing countries imposed curbs on exports to guarantee their own supplies.

The government said it has so far signed contracts for about half of the 2.1 million MT of rice it plans to import this year.