SIXTEEN firms mostly from Thailand and Vietnam have expressed interest to participate in the bidding for the 250,000 metric tons (MT) of rice needed by the Philippines. Manila is set to import P6.5 billion worth of rice through an open bidding, or government-to-private sector arrangement, to boost the government buffer stocks for this year’s lean months. The NFA said the number of bidders may still change since the deadline for the submission of bids application is on May 22. “We have 16 bidders and it is competitive already. The more participants we have, the more opportunities we can get in choosing suppliers who can supply for the rice we need,” Dansal said.

Source: Manila Times May 08, 2018 15:56 UTC