PHILIPPINES SEEKS TWO-MONTH HALT ON RICE IMPORTS TO SUPPORT PRICES

MANILA, Oct 6 (Reuters) - The Philippines' Department of Agriculture on Tuesday asked local importers to stop importing rice between October and November to support domestic prices during the country's main wet-season harvest.

The world's biggest rice importer, which buys mainly from neighbouring Vietnam, is now expected to purchase around 2.3 million tonnes of its staple food this year, Agriculture Secretary William Dar told reporters.

The Philippines' rice purchases last year were estimated at a record-high 2.9 million tonnes after it lifted a two-decade-old restriction on the size of imports.

The government expects year-end rice stockpiles to be the biggest in 10 years.

Dar said almost 2 million tonnes of rice imports had arrived this year and about 300,000 tonnes more may be shipped in before year end.

The domestic rice harvest in the second half will be "substantial", he said, with the main harvest expected between June and November.

To support prices amid rising domestic stockpiles and the influx of imports, the government is also now "massively" buying unmilled rice from local farmers for buffer stocking, Dar said.

The Philippines' rice inventory is closely monitored by rice producers and traders in Vietnam and other top exporters such as Thailand and India.

Asia's rice export prices eased last week in most hubs on lacklustre demand, with fresh supplies expected to be a further drag. Activity in the export market was muted with the absence of buyers from the Philippines, according to traders.