UPDATE 1-Philippine trading firm says to import 30,000 T rice

* State firm to import rice on behalf of private firms

* Import is for top-quality rice, possibly from Thai,Vietnam

MANILA, Nov 5 - State-run Philippine International Trading Corp (PITC) will import 30,000 tonnes of mostly top-quality rice, an official said on Thursday, adding Thailand and Vietnam were among the possible suppliers.

PITC will be importing the grain for arrival until Jan. 31, 2010 on behalf of private firms and cooperatives. The country's main grain-importing arm, the National Food Authority (NFA), gave the trading agency authority to import rice.

The NFA held a tender on Wednesday to buy 250,000 tonnes of 25 percent broken white rice, with Vietnam's Vinafood 2 likely to win 150,000 tonnes of the 250,000 tonnes tendered after offering one of the two lowest bids. [ID:nMAN526761]

The rice grades that can be imported by PITC include white rice 100 percent A and B, 5 percent brokens, basmati rice and Thailand's jasmine rice, Edgardo Bernardo, head of imports at PITC, told Reuters.

Qualified private importers will be allocated up to 1,000 tonnes each. Bernardo said the list of importing firms would be finalised on Nov. 27.

"This is a way to help farmers especially those without bank lines to import rice," he said.

Another official said the Philippines had the option to buy another 62,500 tonnes of rice over the next six months at prices offered during Wednesday's state tender.

"The prices are valid for six months and if prices at the tender are better than market prices six months from now, we can re-order," NFA spokesman Rex Estoperez said.

The Philippines, the world's biggest rice buyer, has imported 1.775 million tonnes of the national staple this year, lower than a record 2.3 million tonnes in 2008 which helped drive prices to record highs.

Of the 2009 total, 1.5 million tonnes was bought from Vietnam via a government-to-government deal while 200,000 tonnes was imported by private firms through the NFA.

Demand from the Philippines and other importers like Iraq and India are expected to keep rice prices firm through 2010.

But industry players say prices probably won't rise as much as they did in 2008 when export curbs by key producers caused Thailand's benchmark 100 percent B white rice to touch an all-time peak of $1,080 per tonne .