Rice import tender slated Aug. 31The Philippines, one of the world’s top rice buyers, is seeking to import up to 250,000 tons of rice from Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia in a tender scheduled on Aug. 31, according to a copy of a government document seen by Reuters. The volume is part of the government’s plan to import up to 1 million tons of rice to secure supply through next year while prices are low in top exporters Vietnam and Thailand. Despite the upcoming tender, benchmark rice prices in Vietnam and Thailand remained near multi-month lows. We cannot continue relying on imported rice,” Piñol told lawmakers. We will provide free irrigation to our farmers, like those in Vietnam and Thailand.”The Philippines imported around 1.8 million tonnes of rice in 2015, below a record volume of 2.45 million tons in 2010.

Source: Manila Bulletin August 25, 2016 14:25 UTC