The Philippine government expressed hope on Sunday that it could sustain rice export that will start next month.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said that Malacanang, the seat of presidential palace, welcomes the statement of the Department of Agriculture (DA) that local rice producers and traders will export the agricultural product in May, the first time in 40 years that huge amount of the commodity will be exported.

"It's a good news...hopefully it (exporting rice) will continue, " she said in an interview over state-run radio station.

The agriculture department said that Indonesia and Dubai will receive 15 metric tons of black rice, 20 tons of japonica rice and 30 tons of long grain aromatic rice early next month.

The Philippines used to be a major rice importer in the world until 2010. DA Secretary Proceso Alcala said recently that the country is already approaching rice self-sufficiency with only 187, 000 metric tons of imports this year.