AN official of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) urged the government to focus on increasing rice production to augment the huge demand of the bloating population in the Philippines growing at an average 2 percent every year.

Dr. William Padolina, IRRI deputy director general, said that for additional 1 million mouths to feed, the country’s production of milled rice must increase by 134,000 metric tons (MT) of rice every year.

He said the Philippines’ present population of 88.5 million demands for a total of 11.8 million MT of rice.

“Because populations are still growing, it is essential to produce more rice,” Padolina said at the United Nations World Population Day forum held at the Edsa Shangri-La on Friday.

He said the current supply situation in the Philippines is at 16.2 million MT of palay and 10.6 million MT of milled rice. But he said the country needs an annual 1.2 million MT of milled rice and 1.9 million MT in additional production to become self-sufficient.

To increase production, Padolina said the government should focus its resources on research and development in rice production. The studies aim to increase yield-harvest per hectare, produce that are resistant to pest, diseases and impact of climate change.

He also noted the need to establish adequate postharvest facilities and efficient logistics for transport and storage of rice.

The United Nations Population Fund, meanwhile, said that poorer nation of Sri Lanka has surpassed the Philippines in reducing the maternal mortality ratio, one of the key objectives of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Target 5 of the MDGs that seek to halve poverty incidence worldwide through eight time-bound goals include the reduction of maternal mortality ratio (MMR) by 75 percent between 1990 and 2015.

The maternal mortality ratio, or the pregnancy-related deaths of mothers, in the Philippines was 209 in 1990 and the target for MMR for 2015 has been set at 52.

“In 1998 the MMR fell from 209 to 172, but seems to have plateaued thereafter, stagnating at 162 in 2006. At this pace of reduction, by 2015 MMR will have only declined to 140 and the target of 52 will be unachievable,” said the UNFPA.

The UNFPA cited: “Reduction in MMR, while multifaceted and a difficult goal, has been successfully achieved in several countries like Sri Lanka, Thailand and Malaysia. In most developing countries, the causes of maternal mortality are similar.”

The direct causes of maternal mortality deaths include hemorrhage, hypertensive disorders, unsafe abortion and obstructed labor.

In the Philippines one in 120 women has the risk of dying from pregnancy or childbirth-related ailment and that 11 mothers die every day of pregnancy-related causes, the UNFPA said.

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IRRI official urges government to hike rice production

AN official of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) urged the government to focus on increasing rice production to augment the huge demand of the bloating population in the Philippines growing at an average 2 percent every year.

Summer harvests of palay exceed target of 7.1 MMT

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EU to import more vegetable oils from Southeast Asia

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