The Philippines has decided to temporarily lift quotas on rice imports amid growing concerns about the price of the staple food in the country.

Philippines Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap, in a statement, said the government is encouraging "importation of rice by all parties aside from NFA (the National Food Authority)."

Philippines is one of the world's biggest importers of rice as its domestic production has not been able to meet the demand of the growing 90-million-strong population.