DA: PH, Pakistan in talks for 1M metric tons of rice imports
Metro Manila, Philippines - Pakistan might be another rice supplier to the Philippines amid talks of a partnership that would bring one million metric tons of rice to the country, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said Friday, Dec. 27.
In a statement, the DA said Pakistan’s Ambassador to Manila Imtiaz Kazi has proposed “committing one million metric tons of rice per year to the Philippines at a competitive price.”
“The Pakistani envoy also proposed a formal memorandum of understanding to cement this partnership, a suggestion that Secretary Tiu Laurel welcomed the proposal and expressed hopes of finalizing the agreement by June 2025,” the statement read.
“Ambassador Kazi sought confirmation on the continuation of the reduced tariff on imported rice in general, which Secretary Tiu Laurel said could be extended until 2028, only if necessary,” it added.
It was raised during a meeting with Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. on Dec. 16, where the two discussed deepening agricultural trade ties.
As of Dec. 12, rice imports reached 4.4 million metric tons, data from the Bureau of Plant Industry showed.
Vietnam is the country's top rice source with around 3.38 million metric tons in the marketing year 2023/2024, the US Department of Agriculture reported as of Dec. 19. Thailand followed with over 645,000 metric tons.
The DA said other topics discussed in the meeting were possible exploration of Philippine exports such as mangoes, bananas, and durian, as well as Laurel's interest in learning Pakistan's practices of irrigation, post-harvest technology, and Halal certification.
