THE Department of Agriculture said that they are working on a draft for the rice trade agreement with Vietnam.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said that this will help ensure the rice supply in the Philippines.

''From what I understand, there is no real agreement in that Indonesian meeting but there was... no agreement signed meaning... but there was an agreement to draft the MOA or MOU and we were given instructions, when we were in the ASEAN meeting in Japan, by the President to draft, finalize the MOA with Vietnam,'' he said.

''So that pagdating ng trip this coming end of January, state visit to Vietnam, mapirmahan na and we have the working draft na, almost done na,'' Laurel said.

Laurel also noted that this may be signed when the President makes his state visit to Vietnam by the end of the month. 

The deal would guarantee that Vietnam would supply the Philippines with rice even during times of calamities.

During President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s attendance in the ASEAN Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam agreed to finalize a rice trade agreement for five years.