Los Baños, Laguna (AFP) - Despite playing a key role in Asia's Green Revolution, the Philippines may never attain rice sufficiency and could be better off importing cereals, an International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) economist said.

The Philippines host the IRRI, which developed modern rice varieties that dramatically raised yields from the mid-1960s.

Yet for all three out of the last 135 years, the Southeast Asian nation has been a net importer of the cereal and prices have been higher than most, IRRI economist David Dawe told reporters during a press tour of the research facility south of Manila.

IRRI director-general Ronald Cantrell said the first thing visiting Filipino presidents ask is why, despite hosting the IRRI, the Philippines cannot produce enough rice for itself.

Dawe said the conundrum is a function of "nature" and the decision on whether to devote state resources to attain rice self-sufficiency is "ultimately an issue that needs to be decided by Filipinos. I obviously am not one," said the American.

"Self-sufficiency has a cost if you want to do it and in the case of the Philippines that cost is borne by the poor." He added: "As an economist, I would say that the Philippines would be slightly richer if it didn't focus on self-sufficiency."

Along with other traditional Asian net rice importers Indonesia, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, Dawe said arable land is in short supply in the Philippines, where only 30 percent are planted to rice.

The soil itself is "more suited to growing coconuts and maize" and lacking the major river systems and rainfall patterns available for the heavily water-dependent crop in such areas as Bangladesh, Thailand and Vietnam.

"God made that land for growing rice," Dawe said.