MANILA: Bread, noodles and processed meat prices are likely to rise in the Philippines in coming weeks as the government struggles to deal with the soaring price of rice, officials said Friday.

Trade Secretary Peter Favila told the Philippine Star newspaper that soft buns, which are the country's most popular form of bread, "are getting smaller and probably the price of bread will increase."

A request to buy low-cost milled wheat from China has been turned down, Favila said, forcing the government to turn to more expensive wheat from the United States.

"I am saddened that China did not grant our request and I have already received official communication to that effect. They did not give any reason. They just said the demand in China is also large," the secretary said.

Even noodles, which come from imported wheat will likely be affected as well, he warned.

"We have enough wheat but the thing is, raw materials are very expensive," said Ric Pinca, executive director of the Philippine Association of Flour Millers.

He said that China was still the cheapest source of wheat even though supplies were available from the United States, Australia and Canada.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Association of Meat Processors warned meat prices could go up due to a new government policy limiting the amount of raw materials they can import for their product.

In an open letter, the association warned that the new policy "will impact directly and immediately on the increase of food prices."

The share of food on special import permits granted by the agriculture department has been reduced to 40 per cent, with livestock producers getting a larger 50 per cent share. The balance of 10 per cent is reserved for special government allocations.

The Philippine government is already struggling to keep the price of rice, the national diet staple down in the face of rising global prices.

The country is one of the world's biggest rice importers and there are fears that soaring prices could lead to social unrest.

Manila is using soldiers to secure rice stocks and deploying military and police to crack down on suspected hoarders. - AFP/ac