NFA to start receiving bids for rice imports

MANILA, Philippines - The National Food Authority (NFA) will receive beginning April 10, 2013 applications for the importation of 163,000 metric tons (MT) of rice.

In a notice,the NFA announced that the application is open to all licensed grains businesses, farmers organizations and cooperatives.

The importation will be made within the minimum access volume – country specific quota (MAV-CSQ) which is slapped a 40 percent tariff.

The following are the source countries and the respective allocation: Thailand (98,000 MT), China (25,000 MT), India (25,000 MT) and Australia (15,000 MT).

All interested importers may apply to import by submitting the following requirements to the NFA Central Office –Grains Marketing Operations Department: letter of intent, NFA import license, supplier’s pro-forma invoice, registration with BOC’s i-CARE, latest audited financial statement.

The minimum volume to be applied is 2,000 MT and the maximum is 5,000 MT to be covered by a letter of credit or any other financial instrument opened with the Land Bank of the Philippines. 

The general guidelines may be secured from the NFA’s Grains Marketing Operations Department-Foreign Operations Division at 4th floor left wing, Philippine Sugar Center Bldg., North Ave., Quezon City.