The Philippines plans to buy between 300,000 and 320,000 tonnes of rice next month because of damage to rice crops caused by four storms in two weeks, officials said on Friday. The storms battered wide swathes of the main island of Luzon, the country's rice bowl, this week and last week. More than 1,000 people were killed or missing in landslides and flooding triggered by the storms.
Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap said the storms caused damage of nearly 1.3 billion pesos ($23.2 million) to crops, including rice and corn.
"If the farms are not immediately rehabilitated, the impact of these typhoons will be felt next year," Yap told Reuters.
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ordered the agriculture department to distribute rice and corn seeds to affected farmers to help production targets next year.
Yap said state-owned trading firm National Food Authority (NFA) plans to immediately import rice as a buffer in case of a delay in the summer rice harvest - usually between April and May.
NFA administrator Gregorio Tan said his agency plans to hold a tender to buy 300,000 to 320,000 tonnes of rice next month for arrival in the country within the first quarter.
The country usually holds tenders to buy rice in the second quarter each year for delivery in the third quarter, the lean season in domestic rice production.