Rice woes not yet
over, GMA warned Angara says more imports needed
for lean months
BY JP LOPEZ
ADMINISTRATION Sen. Edgardo Angara yesterday
belied President Arroyo's claim of rice stability as he warned
that the current global food crisis that triggered protests all
over the world could also destabilize the Arroyo administration.
"Though we have enough rice supply today, we
will have to rely on imports to cushion the anticipated rice
shortage during the lean months," Angara said.
Arroyo on Friday said the Philippines has
concluded contracts with Thailand, Vietnam, and other Asian
countries for 1.2 million metric tons of rice. The volume, she
said, is "enough to cover the 10 percent differential which is
our production and consumption."
Gov't interest is keeping
truce,
not forging peace pact: MILF
BY VICTOR REYES
THE Moro Islamic Liberation Front has told
the visiting chief of the Malaysian Armed Forces that government
is not interested in forging a peace agreement with the group
but only in maintaining the cease-fire in the South.
"That is what I told him (Gen. Tan Sri Abdul
Aziz bin Zainal), that they (government) are only interested in
the cease-fire," Mohagher Iqbal, MILF chief negotiator who is
also chairman of the MILF committee on information, said in a
phone interview yesterday.
"That is a correct statement (government
insincerity)... They are delaying the peace talks while trying
to salvage the cease-fire," he added.
BANGKOK - A proposed "OPEC-style" rice cartel
in Southeast Asia will go nowhere due to the inability of
governments to cooperate with each other and control output from
their farmers, analysts and traders said on Friday.
Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej, a TV
chef whose main contact with rice is cooking it, has revived the
long-dormant idea of a price-setting body involving producers
Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia.
The proposal, which threatens to add to
global food supply fears amid record high rice prices, failed to
gain traction seven years ago when it was first floated by
Bangkok - and most see little chance it will fare better this
time around.
