Piñol blocks NFA move to import rice

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol on Monday blocked a proposal by the National Food Authority (NFA) to immediately import rice and secure the government’s buffer stock, at least until the end of harvest season in June.

“The President did not issue a ‘no importation’ order. All that he said was that importation of rice should not be made during the peak harvest season of the local rice farms,” Piñol told reporters.