The Philippines has abandoned its goal of being fully self-sufficient in rice by the end of the decade, taking a more practical approach after realizing that it has to pump more capital to improve irrigation facilities and farm-to-market roads.

Speaking at a press briefing, Augusto B. Santos, acting National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) director general said that Philippines wanted to attain 100% rice self-sufficiency by 2010 but it appears to be no longer doable and so self sufficiency plans have been pushed back to 2013.

Philippines is the world’s biggest rice importer this year after it contracted some 2.3 million MT to offset a domestic shortfall. Imported rice accounts for 10-15% of the country’s rice supply, while the rest comes from local production.