The Association of Southeast Asian Nations plus China, Japan and South Korea, or Asean+3, is keen on establishing a permanent emergency rice reserve, a senior Philippine agriculture official said Tuesday.

The so-called East Asia Emergency Rice Reserve program was piloted last year. It was supposed to expire next March.

In a meeting last week, Asean agriculture ministers agreed to extend the program for another year, and are considering making it permanent, said Gregorio Tan, administrator of the Philippine National Food Authority.