NFA to begin receiving rice import applications April 10

The National Food Authority (NFA) on April 10 will begin receiving applications for the importation of 163,000 metric tons (MT) of rice. The volume is part of the programmed volume to be imported this year of 187,000 MT. Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said that the year's total importation will serve as six days' worth of the 30-day buffer stock required for the NFA. In a notice published on March 26 in The Philippine Star, the NFA announced that all licensed grains businesses, farmers organizations and cooperatives may apply. The source countries and their allocations are Thailand (98,000 MT), China (25,000 MT), India (25,000 MT) and Australia (15,000 MT). To apply, an importer must submit the following to the NFA Central Office's Grains Marketing Operations Department: a letter of intent, an NFA import license, the supplier’s pro-forma invoice, registration with BOC’s i-CARE, and its latest audited financial statement. The volume will be at least 2,000 MT and not more than 5,000 MT, to be covered by a letter of credit or any other financial instrument opened with Land Bank of the Philippines. Importers who are the first ones to settle advanced customs duties shall be prioritized in the granting of allocations. The general guidelines are available from the NFA’s Grains Marketing Operations Department-Foreign Operations Division on the fourth floor of the Philippine Sugar Center on North Avenue in Quezon City. The government has been reducing its rice imports over the last few years, from a high of 2.4 million MT in 2010 to 860,000 MT in 2011 and 500,000 MT last year. — BM, GMA News