Manila  -  The Philippine government has allocated more than 1 billion dollars for a programme aimed at boosting rice and other food production amid fears of a supply crisis, the agriculture department said Wednesday.

The department said a total 43.7 billion pesos (1.06 billion dollars) will be used on fertilizer, rehabilitation of irrigation systems and post-harvest facilities, high-yielding rice varieties and training.

The masterplan was "designed to guarantee the stable supply and prices of, and self-sufficiency levels in, rice and other food crops from now till 2010," the department said in a statement.

A big chunk of the package or 15 billion pesos would be given out as loans and credit for farmers, fisherfolk and rural borrowers, while another bulk of 9.2 billion pesos will finance the production of high-yielding and hybrid rice varieties.

"The target is to plant (high-yielding) seeds in 600,000 hectares this year and hybrid seeds in 900,000 hectares over the 2009-2010 period," the department statement said.

The department said the current supply of the country's staple food was up 27.53 per cent compared to the same period last year, with inventories totaling 1.943 million tons, equal to 59 days worth of rice consumption.

But the government still needs to import 2.7 million tons this year to ensure enough supply, making the Philippines the world's largest rice importer.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has declared a war against rice hoarders amid fears of a shortage. The government has also tapped the church and the military to distribute cheap rice to the poor to avoid food riots that have gripped other countries. (dpa)