Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Saturday his country must start importing rice to prepare for the impact of El Nino dry weather conditions on the local harvest, and may seek a supply deal with India.
"I'm thinking about the national supply for rice," Marcos told officials in the northern province of Cagayan, where he went to assess the damage from Typhoon Doksuri.
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Marcos, who is also agriculture secretary, expressed concern about the global supply situation. "Everybody is preparing for El Nino, all of Southeast Asia."
The Philippines, one of the world's biggest rice importers, traditionally buys rice mainly from its neighbour Vietnam.
"I think we can make a deal with India. Maybe there's someone there we can talk to," Marcos said.