Duterte may suspend rice importation

A growing problem: Artwork featuring an image of Duterte with the letters D,U and the number 3, a word play on the president’s surname ‘DU30’, is seen on a rice field in Los Banos city, Laguna province, south of Manila. — Reuters

MANILA: President Rodrigo Duterte has apologised to Filipino farmers and vowed to suspend rice imports amid falling palay prices that have caused them to lose billions of pesos as a result of the imposition of tariffs on imported grain in lieu of quotas.

But presidential spokesmanSalvador Panelo later clarified that no directive had been issued to suspend rice imports.