Philippines to increase rice import in 2016

The Philippines is planning to import next year up to 400,000 metric tons of rice on top of its annual regular imports amid the threat of El Nino phenomenon, a senior government official said Thursday.

Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said that increasing the buffer stock of rice through importation was one of the directives of President Benigno S. Aquino III when he met his cabinet officials to discuss efforts to ease the impact of El Nino.

According to National Economic and Development Authority Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, chairman of the Cabinet Task Force on El Nino, the National Food Authority Council has determined that 300,000 to 400,000 metric tons will be imported to boost the country's buffer stock and to augment local rice production, Coloma said.

The importation will take place in the second quarter of 2016 and "will be over-and-above the usual volume of rice that the country imports annually," he said.

Coloma said the full effect of the current El Nino phenomenon will be felt in February and March 2016 when the entire country is projected to get only 20 to 30 percent of normal rainfall.

According to the Department of Science and Technology and the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, the projected worst-case scenario might exceed the most severe El Nino conditions experienced in 1997 and 1998. Endit