More than half of Philippines' 2020 rice import orders yet to be delivered - minister

MANILA, April 1 (Reuters) - More than half of the 1.3
million tonnes of rice import orders by the Philippines' traders
for 2020 are yet to be delivered, the country's farm minister
said on Wednesday, even as he sought to allay concerns over
supply of the staple food.
Agriculture Secretary William Dar said around 700,000 tonnes
of rice cargoes purchased by private players have not been
delivered yet, although he made fresh assurance that supply in
the world's biggest buyer of the grain remains adequate.
The Philippine authorities have repeatedly sought to ease
Filipinos' concerns about a tightening of domestic rice supply
at a time when many parts of the country have been locked down
to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
The pandemic has sparked global food security concerns, with
some rice producers in Asia imposing rice export bans and others
going into lockdown to battle the outbreak.
Dar said a plan by the government to import 300,000 tonnes
of rice is a "contingency measure" that will help keep domestic
supply sufficient and prices in check while the
coronavirus-containment measures are in place. The Philippines became the world's biggest rice importer in
2019 after it scrapped purchase caps, buying a record 2.9
million tonnes. Vietnam and Thailand are its main suppliers.
Dar said the Philippines is counting on its Southeast Asian
neighbours, including Myanmar, for help to boost its rice
stocks, as he encouraged local traders to bring in more grains.
Vietnam, the world's third-largest rice exporter, has
temporarily suspended new rice export contracts while
undertaking a review of its stockpile to ensure it has enough
domestic supplies to cope with the coronavirus outbreak.
Thailand, the world's second-largest rice exporter after
India, however, remains open for new deals and is bracing for
increased sales while its competitors are enforcing a ban or
limit on sales. Last week, Dar said the country has enough rice for the next
four months, taking into account current state stockpile, the
incoming local dry-season harvest, and continued imports.