The country’s palay (unmilled rice) output in the third quarter may settle at 3.05 million metric tons, nearly 5 percent lower than last year’s output of 3.2 MMT due to smaller harvest area, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said.
In its report, titled Updates on July-September 2019 Palay and Corn Estimates, the PSA cut its palay output forecast for third quarter from 3.06 MMT it estimated in its previous forecast.
The PSA, as of September 1, estimated that total palay harvest area in the July-to-September period could decline by 11.1 percent to 733,300 hectares, from 824,860 hectares last year.
The July-to-September period is considered as the country’s palay lean season as production is minimal compared to the summer and last quarter harvest.
“About 262,090 hectares, or 35.7 percent, of the updated standing crop have been harvested,” the PSA said in the report published on Wednesday.
“Of the updated 803,380 hectares of standing crop, 48.1 percent were at maturing stage, 32.1 percent at vegetative stage and 19.8 percent at reproductive stage,” the PSA added.
The PSA said over 67 percent, or about 404,370 hectares of the 598,200 hectares perceived area of the farmers’ planting intentions this fourth quarter have been materialized.
Higher corn output
The PSA forecast that corn output in the third quarter would rise by 25 percent to 2.76 MMT, from the 2.2 MMT recorded volume in the same period of last year.
The PSA attributed this to higher harvest area which it estimated to expand by 11.21 percent to 872,990 hectares, from 784,930 hectares.
“Likewise, yield per hectare may increase to 3.16 metric tons, from 2.81 million metric tons in 2018,” it said.
The PSA said about 473,980 hectares, or about 54.3 percent, of the updated standing crops have been harvested.
The PSA said around 404,370 hectares, of the 598,200 hectares corn farmers’ planting intentions for fourth quarter have been realized.