The Philippines should aspire to become a rice exporter in light of the possible formation of an Organization of Rice Exporting Countries (OREC) even as the country has potential markets in Africa, Indonesia, and Malaysia for exporting its hybrid rice seeds

Henry Lim Bon Liong, chairman of pioneering hybrid rice seed producer SL Agritech Corp. (SLAC), said the Philippines should envision to become a rice exporter to ensure local food security which could be threatened by other countries that want to control world rice trade. 

Lim, who pioneered hybrid rice seed production in the country and thus helped chart the country's rice self-sufficiency program, said the vision of adequacy in rice for the local market remains to be a practical program considering world trade developments that puts at risk local rice supply.

"Only five percent of world rice production is traded in the world market. And if there's an OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries), there are plans by rice exporting countries to form an OREC (Organization of Rice Exporting Countries). They want to control trade," he said.

"If we don't prepare, we will be at their mercy. We can live without oil, but we can't live one day without rice. Why do we have to depend on them? We have to be a member of the OREC," he said. 

Lim said the Philippines can actually export its rice seeds to Indonesia and Malaysia if only the country becomes more sufficient in supplying its own demand.

"Indonesia has two-and-a-half times more population than the Philippines. It's buying a lot of rice from Vietnam. They will be willing to buy seeds from us. Malaysia is also planting rice, but they lack the labor. They'll be using more seeds in farms as they mechanize,"he said in an interview. 

In fact, he said SLAC has so far shipped 100 sacks of hybrid rice seeds to Africa as a sample which are proving to be good varieties.

"We loaded 100 sacks of seed to Africa for testing, and the testing has been very good," he said. 

However, Lim said it is the priority of the government now to achieve rice sufficiency first for the domestic market which is causing SLAC to postpone any export plan. 

"We have to defer export. Right now, I promised the President that charity begins at home. We should try to fill up the local requirements first," he said. 

SLAC produces the SL-8 or popularized as Gloria Rice which yields as much as 10 metric tons (MT) per hectare which is higher in yield than the certified seeds previously promoted by the Department of Agriculture which is yielding four to six MT per hectare.