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The Philippines bought 500,000 tons of rice on Monday, mostly from Vietnam, and traders said they expected the country to buy more next month.
"The government is still assessing the requirement. We still do not have a schedule," Jessup Navarro, administrator of state-trading firm National Food Authority, told Reuters.
Rumors in the grain market said Manila, one of Asia's biggest rice importers, planned to buy another 650,000 tonnes of rice in a tender on Feb. 20.
Last week, NFA spokesman Rex Estoperez said the Philippines might import 1.8 million tons of rice this year from 1.65 million in 2006.
The Philippines has been importing its staple food in recent years as the rise in local production cannot cope with a rapidly increasing population.
The Department of Agriculture said in a statement on Monday the government aimed to achieve self sufficiency in rice by 2010.
Earlier on Monday, Navarro said Manila bought 474,000 tons of 25-percent broken rice from Vietnamese firms for delivery between February and April.
The government also bought 20,000 tons of rice from Thailand and 6,000 tons from Pakistan.
Navarro did not give price details.
The Philippines conducted the tender last week to buy a total 500,000 tons of 25-percent broken rice variety from either Thailand, Vietnam, China, the United States, Pakistan, India or Australia.
Traders said they expected Vietnamese firms, which offered prices of $308.88 to 308.95 per ton, including cost and freight (C&F), to win contracts to supply 474,000 tons.
They also expected trading firm Asia Golden Rice, which offered to sell rice from Thailand at $307.60 per ton C&F, to win a contract for 20,000 tons.
Another 6,000 tons was also expected to be awarded to trading firm Louis Dreyfus, which offered Pakistani rice at $307.77 per ton C&F.
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