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Philippines says may be done with 2010 rice imports
13.04.2010 11:36 "Agro Perspectiva" (Kyiv) —
The Philippines may have completed rice imports for 2010 and its next purchases would likely be for 2011s needs, given healthy stockpiles and a relatively moderate impact of dry weather on crops, a government official said on Monday.
Manila, the worlds biggest rice buyer, has ordered a record 2.45 million tons of rice imports for this year. Shipments of 2.25 million tons are due to be completed by June and the remainder would be brought in by private firms up to Sept. 15.
«NFA has no more plans to import for 2010,» Rex Estoperez, spokesman for state grain agency National Food Authority (NFA), told Reuters.
«We might import but that would already be in preparation for 2011. NFA has enough stocks in its warehouses,» he said.
Estoperez could not say when Manila would resume imports. The country normally begins buying rice in the final quarter of a year to meet the next years requirements.
Paddy rice lost from hot weather caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon had reached more than 200,000 tonnes, Estoperez said, citing reports from the Department of Agriculture, just a quarter of the departments projected losses from a severe drought.
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