RP’s 2010 rice imports may hit around 2M tons

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine rice imports for 2010 may reach around 2.0 million tons after recent typhoons damaged portions of the country's rice-growing areas, a senior official said on Thursday.

The Philippines, the world's biggest rice buyer, also expects more typhoons to hit the country before the year ends, possibly damaging more rice crops during the bumper harvest in the fourth quarter, Agriculture undersecretary Bernardo Fondevilla told reporters.

When asked if rice imports for 2010 would hit two million tons, Fondevilla said: "Possibly. Around that figure."

Manila has imported 1.775 million tons of milled rice this year, the bulk of it from Vietnam, versus a record 2.3 million tons in 2008, which helped lift grain prices to record levels.

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