Manila, Sept. 24 -- The government may extend its 60-day rice import ban and raise tariffs on imported rice to protect the local palay (unhusked rice) industry, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said Wednesday.

The possible extension came after President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. directed the Department of Agriculture (DA) to prepare the necessary orders for both an expanded import halt and a tariff increase.

The current suspension, which began on Sept. 1, is set to expire in November.

The tariffs on rice imports, on the other hand, have been pegged at 15 percent.

In a Viber message to reporters, Tiu Laurel said the move is meant to help raise farmgate prices of palay amid the peak of the wet season harvest.

"Objectively, ...