DA monitoring rice from China

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Agriculture (DA) is monitoring imported rice from China amid reports of rice laced with high levels of metal cadmium found in Southern China.

The Food and Drug Administration of Guangzhou City recently discovered excessive levels of cadmium in rice products from various establishments in the city.

Dante Delima, DA National Rice Program coordinator, said Chinese rice entering the country through proper channels will be screened at the Customs counter for excessive cadmium content.

Cadmium poisoning can cause digestive, respiratory and bone problems.

Delima said chemicals used in farms may have caused the excessive cadmium content in rice from Southern China.

The Philippines is set to import 25,000 metric tons (MT) of rice from China under the country-specific quota of the minimum access volume, which comprises 163,000 MT.

National Food Authority (NFA) spokesman Rex Estoperez said the contracts for the importation have not yet been awarded to importers, but he assured the public that rice from China will be tested for toxicity through the Customs quarantine process.

Delima, however, warned that Chinese rice smuggled into the country would be difficult to monitor because cadmium has no physical manifestation in rice.

“This is why we should not patronize smuggled rice,” he said. “This is also a reason why we have to be self-sufficient in rice.”

On the other hand, Delima said this development can give Philippine rice exports a competitive advantage in the world market. 

“That is already a competitive edge for us if we can produce safer food,” he said. “But for now, our concern here is not market advantage but the safety of our consumers.”

The Philippines intends to export this year more than 100 MT of premium rice to Hong Kong, Macau, the Middle East, South Africa, the United States and Europe.

The government aims to attain an exportation level of around 300,000 MT by 2016 to match the 350,000 MT of foreign rice entering the country.

Delima said the Philippines has passed the US test for cadmium content in its premium rice export.

At least 30 MT of heirloom rice from the Cordilleras are bound for the US in October this year, he said.

The Philippines intends to produce more than 20 million MT of rice this year after producing more than 18 million MT of rice in 2012.

Delima said palay production is on track for the year based on standing crop and farmers’ planting intentions.