Rains boosted rice stocks, says agri chief

MANILA, Philippines�The unusually wet weather in the first quarter of the year has boosted rice stockstremendously, said Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala Tuesday, adding that the paddy output for the first half of 2011 may be the highest on record. Alcala said a "record-high paddy rice production" of 8 million metric tons (MT) in the first half of the year was possible, which could mean that

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