PH eyes deal with India, Pakistan on rice imports

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is in the middle of negotiations with both Pakistan and India to provide a stable supply of 2 million metric tons (MT) of rice to the country annually.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said he had met with Pakistani Ambassador to the Philippines Imtiaz Kazi to finalize a memorandum of understanding.

Under the proposed arrangement, Pakistan will export to the Philippines up to one million MT of rice annually, equivalent to about 25 percent of the latter’s rice import requirement.

The DA is working on a similar accord with India.

“The intention is to create a level playing field among our rice-supplying nations,” Tiu Laurel said during a consultation meeting with rice traders at the Intercity Industrial Estate in Bulacan.

“We want them to compete for our market,” he added.

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Last month, the Pakistani envoy expressed his country’s interest in forging a partnership with the Philippines on rice importation.

In particular, traders from Pakistan seek “stability and certainty” on the quantity of rice to be shipped to Manila, citing fluctuating tariffs levied by the government and competitive global prices.

“We want to increase that share, provided we can also provide the stable good supply of rice and that depends on mutual concessions for each other, which means that the Philippines should guarantee us that they want this much rice every year,” Kazi said.