Phl may hike contribution to emergency rice reserves

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines is looking to increase its contribution to a strategic emergency rice reserve in the region in the coming years as it achieves self-sufficiency in the production of the crop.

Agriculture Assistant Secretary Dante Delima told reporters late Monday that the country intends to increase its contribution to the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR) agreement in the future.

The Philippines has pledged to contribute 12,000 tons under the APTERR.

“We are still trying to achieve sufficiency. We don’t have enough surplus to contribute more than that (12,000 tons),” Delima said.

He said that the country plans to increase its contribution to the APTERR when the country reaches its rice self-sufficiency goal.

He said that while the Philippines’ contribution may be less than that of other countries,” it shows that the country is committed to participate in the APTERR.

“This is in preparation for calamities so that we may also access the strategic reserve when needed,” he said.

The APTERR agreement which was signed in October last year, sets physical stocks earmarked as emergency rice reserve and other forms of reserve to meet emergency and humanitarian requirements.

Under the agreement, the 10 member nations of the ASEAN plus  China, Japan and South Korea shall provide a rice stock amounting to 787,000 tons to be used in case of production and supply disruptions due to natural disasters.

China, Japan and South Korea are contributing 300,000 tons, 250,000 tons and 150,000 tons, respectively for the emergency rice reserve, while 87,000 tons will come from the ASEAN countries.

The Philippines is seeking to achieve self-sufficiency in rice production after 2013.

For this year, the country is aiming to produce 18.46 million metric tons (MT) of rice and is importing only 500,000 MT.

Last year, the country produced 16.68 million MT of rice and imported 860,000 MT.

The Agriculture department said earlier that if the rice production target will be met this year, rice imports could fall to 100,000 MT next year.