The country’s palay production in the second quarter likely expanded by 11 percent to 4.1 million metric tons (MMT), from 3.69 MMT recorded a year ago, according to the latest report of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
In its latest report, titled “Updates on April-June 2017 Palay and Corn Forecasts”, the PSA attributed the increase to the expansion in areas planted with rice.
“Palay production for April-June 2017 may slightly increase to 4.104 million MT [metric tons] , 0.23 percent above the April 2017 round forecast of 4.095 million MT and 11.1 percent higher than the previous year’s output of 3.7 million MT,” the report read.
“Harvest area may increase by 0.02 percent from 0.94 million hectares. Likewise, yield per hectare may improve to 4.39 MT, from 4.38 MT,” it added.
The PSA said the planting interventions of the government and the private sector boosted unmilled rice production in the April to June period.
“The probable increment in palay production may be attributed to: higher yield to be brought about by extensive program on subsidized seed by the DA [Department of Agriculture] and free urea fertilizer from the Food and Agriculture Organization in Nueva Ecija,” the report read.
Other interventions rolled out by the government were the use of high-yielding varieties distributed through the High Yielding Technology Adoption program of the DA in Kalinga and the distribution of seeds and fertilizer from the Office of Provincial Agriculturist in Bulacan and Davao del Sur.
The PSA added sufficient water supply in irrigated and rainfed farms during the growth and reproductive stages of the crop in Cagayan, Zambales, Bohol and Surigao Norte allowed farmers to increase their output.
The PSA noted about 815,910 hectares of the updated standing crop have been harvested.
As of June 1 about 55.7 percent, or almost 430,430 hectares, of the farmers’ planting intentions for the July-to-September period have materialized.
“Of the 549,830 hectares standing palay crop, 57.5 percent were at vegetative stage; 20.8 percent, at the reproductive stage; and 21.7 percent, at maturing stage,” the PSA said.
As for corn, the agency added production in the second quarter likely grew by 42.7 percent to 1.288 MMT. The figure is higher than its previous forecast of 1.285 MMT.
“Corn production for April-June 2017 may increase to 1.288 MMT, 0.2 percent higher than the earlier forecast of 1.285 MMT, and may be 42.7 percent higher than previous year’s level of 900,000 MT,” the PSA said.
Despite the slight decrease in areas planted with corn, yield per hectare rose to 3.36 MT from 3.26 MT.
“The probable increase in corn yield may be the result of sufficient rainfall during the growth and reproductive stages of the crop in Sultan Kudarat, Bukidnon, Negros Occidental, Ilocos Norte, Kalinga and Quezon,” the report read.
“The use of hybrid seeds in Mindoro Occidental and lesser incidence of pests and diseases in Sultan Kudarat and Mindoro Occidental may contribute to higher output. In Nueva Ecija, some farmers opted to plant corn due to the renovation and construction of irrigation canals which may bring production to increase,”it added.
As of June 1 the PSA said about 300,050 hectares of the updated standing crop have been harvested. Also, about 69.2 percent, or 647,820 hectares, of farmers’ planting intentions for the third quarter have been realized.