THE Philippines, the world’s biggest rice buyer, issued its fourth tender for 2010 supplies and said purchases may rise to a record 3 million tons, more than 10 percent of the estimated global rice trade next year. The country might import that much grain should the weather affect harvests, said Rex Estoperez, spokesman of the National Food Authority, the state-run grain buyer. “That’s the worst-scenario case,” he told reporters. “We are not sure what calamities might hit again next year, or if the summer harvest will be as bountiful as the government expects it to be.”

Estoperez said the standby volume for rice imports was 2.22 million to 2.4 million metric tons, “but the figure is not absolute. We might do some adjustments if needed.”

His agency yesterday invited offers to sell the Philippines 600,000 metric tons in a tender on Dec. 15 in a notice published in a newspaper, advancing its imports after recent storms destroyed 1.3 million tons of rice.

That would bring the country’s planned purchases for 2010 to 2.05 million tons so far. The imports might reach 2.4 million tons if the government achieved its target for the first harvest next year, Estoperez said.

“You never know what will happen next year; there could be another typhoon or El Niño,” he said.

The 2010 global rice trade was estimated at 29.5 million tons by the US Department of Agriculture on Nov. 10.

Rising Philippine imports may push global prices higher as drought in India slashes production, fueling speculation the South Asian nation will become a net importer for the first time in more than two decades, increasing competition for supplies.

Rice prices surged to a record last year as concerns over food shortages prompted countries like India and Vietnam to curb exports, sparking food price riots across the globe. Bloomberg, with Othel V. Campos