Philippines to Consider More Rice Imports, Ending Subsidy

Philippine officials will meet next week to consider more rice imports and ending a subsidy for farmers to cut debt at the National Food Authority, Presidential Assistant for Food Security Francis Pangilinan said.

“We’re going to have to bite the bullet and make hard decisions to squarely address the issue of buying high and selling low,” Pangilinan, 50, said in an interview in his office in Manila today. “Instead of price subsidies, my inclination is, why don’t we bring down the cost of production?” He declined to give more details.