21.   The farmers took to the streets to protest against cheap foreign rice imports which they say are jeopardising their livelihoods.

22.   The Philippines has also boosted rice imports due to crop damage from heavy flooding.

23.   The rice imports are expected to stabilize prices which have continued to fluctuate in big cities across the country.

24.   The United States is an eager exporter of rice and China can sell it even more cheaply, but Japanese law has virtually banned rice imports.

25.   This would force the country to conduct rice imports.

26.   Government livelihood projects, subsidized credit programs and a policy of regulating rice imports and prices had largely been unsuccessful, she noted.

27.   Agriculture department assistant secretary Marinela Castillo said the liberalising of rice imports would require amendments to existing legislation authorizing the government to regulate rice imports.

28.   The Philippines imposes tight restrictions on rice imports but ironically, a rice shortage has forced it to resort to imports in recent months.

29.   The source said that the last-minute reimposition of the ban on rice imports by the presidency was meant to encourage local production.

30.   Under the current system, rice imports can enter the country through any port.