MANILA : Philippine authorities on Wednesday ordered police to arrest rice hoarders and illegal traders as the country struggles to cope with rising prices of the key food staple.

Police will be deployed to warehouses owned by the National Food Authority (NFA), the state rice-importing agency, to prevent any pilfering by rogue traders, national police operations chief Silverio Alarcio said in a statement.

The move is aimed at pre-empting the "impact on peace and order of price rises not only in rice but other basic commodities," the statement said.

President Gloria Arroyo this week said she will negotiate for more rice shipments from Thailand and other neighbouring countries to avert a possible supply crisis during the lean months from July to September.

Analysts and farmer groups have said traders hoarding the grain could also force the retail price of the grain to artificially rise.

Rice is the staple food in this Southeast Asian country of 90 million, and experts have warned of social unrest if prices soar amid the supply crunch.

Alarcio also ordered regional commanders to work closely with local governments to fight the illegal rice trade and said police would follow delivery trucks to ensure that NFA rice did not "end up in illegal warehouses."

"We will do that and hit hard on the hoarders who are causing this artificial crisis," he said. - AFP/ir