The country will never attain rice sufficiency and may import the staple for as long as the problems of overpopulation and lack of arable land are present, President Rodrigo Duterte said. “I do not believe that we can be rice sufficient.”He elicited laughter from his audience when he dismissed as “just a story” Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol’s claim that the country would be rice sufficient at the end of the year. ‘Short-sighted’ officialsThe President said he had “to cut” the powers of certain members of his Cabinet “for being short-sighted and jumping into other’s territory” after the rice stocks of the National Food Authority fell dangerously low. These officials were also asked to explain why the rice buffer stock was “not as high…as the ceiling” and was only good for three to four days, he said. If a person sees his rice supply was reaching the ceiling, that’s a very consoling sight for him,” the President said, adding it was better to have an oversupply.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer June 13, 2018 22:52 UTC