He said among the milestones achieved by the Aquino administration last year were restoring the trust of farmers, fisherfolk and other agriculture and fishery stakeholders in government, and reducing to one-third the annual rice imports, from 2.4 million metric tons (MT) to 860,000 MT. Rice imports will be further reduced to 500,000 MT this year. He said the DA targets to achieve rice sufficiency by end of 2013. Shown with him are National Competitiveness Council private sector co-chairman Guillermo Luz and Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson. (Photo by Jose Lucas, DA Information Service)

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