MANILA - The Philippines, the world's biggest rice buyer, is currently in talks to purchase 200,000 tons rice from Thailand under a government-to-government (G-to-G) deal, a senior state official said on Monday.

"The Philippines and Thailand are negotiating a certain volume for G-to-G," Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap told reporters, adding the initial volume Manila was willing to grant Bangkok is 200,000 tons.

On Sunday, Thai Commerce Minister Porntiva Nakasai said an agreement between Manila and Bangkok on rice import tariffs would be delayed by a month or 2 as negotiations continued.