MANILA - The Philippines' state grain agency will hold another tender for 600,000 metric tons (MT) of rice on December 15 as the country boosts supplies for 2010.

The National Food Authority (NFA) has set aside P15.26 billion for the purchase of well-milled, 25% broken white rice to be delivered from February to May next year. The NFA will also spend the same amount for tenders set on December 1 and 8.

"Source countries shall be Thailand, Vietnam, China, Pakistan, Australia, United States and India," the agency said in an advertisement on Monday.

Any volume may be shipped from Vietnam, China and Thailand but a limit of 100,000 MT was set for shipments coming from Australia, India, Pakistan, and US.

The Philippines is stocking up on rice in preparation for an expected shortfall in 2010 following the devastation of back-to-back typhoons that hit the country.

Based on NFA's estimates, the country lost 1.3 million tons of paddy rice, equivalent to around 845,000 tons of milled rice, when strong typhoons devastated major rice-growing areas on the main island of Luzon in September and October.