Written by the Web Team
Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija – An official of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) toured around this city, Aug. 14-17, to learn how their country could start producing rice and reduce agricultural imports. 
“Micronesia, particularly in Pohnpei, has so many natural resources. We need to maximize these resources for consumption, and to start reducing importation such as rice from other countries,” Shelten G. Neth, FSM senator, said.
FSM imports rice and other food from Australia, the United States, and Japan, among other countries.
To optimize the country’s natural resources including rice, Neth plans to explore a possible “country to country” collaboration.
He invites PhilRice, through its executive director, Dr. Eufemio T. Rasco Jr. to restart FSM’s rice production, which the Japanese had done during the World War II era.
The senator noted the “friendly, charismatic, in-depth technical knowledge of PhilRice officials. His four-day itinerary included visits in government agencies in Muñoz farmers’ fields, and giant rice milling plant in San Jose City, Nueva Ecija.
