Aquino rejects proposal to import more rice

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - President Benigno Aquino III has rejected the proposal of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) to import more rice this year to address the rising prices of the grain, a senior official said today.

"The harvest season has begun, so it's not a good time to import rice," said Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Secretary Ramon Carandang.

NEDA Director General Arsenio M. Balisacan, in a memorandum sent on Sept. 10 to Malacanang, the presidential palace, recommended the importation of additional rice to arrest the rising prices and prevent a possible shortage.

Balisacan said there was a need to import at least half a million metric tons (MMT), citing that "even if rice production recovers in the last quarter of 2013, deficits are expected to be incurred from as low as 0.5 million metric tons to as high as 1.4 MMT."

National Food Authority administrator Orlan Calayag also said on today that there are still no plans to import an additional volume of rice for this year.