Rice, a mealtime staple for billions of Asians, has grabbed the headlines in recent weeks as rocketing prices drove the region’s rulers into crisis mode.

The Philippines, the world’s biggest rice importer, took up the hatchet last week. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, having ordered schools to turn their gyms into impromptu rice warehouses, pledged nearly $1bn worth of spending on irrigation and transportation to boost rice production and distribution.