The country’s unmilled rice production in the first half likely expanded by 1.56 percent to 8.703 million metric tons, from 8.569 MMT recorded a year ago, according to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
In its latest output forecast, the PSA also revised upward its projection for palay production for the April-to-June period to 4.08 MMT, from its earlier estimate of 4.05 MMT.
“Additions in palay production are foreseen in Isabela, Nueva Ecija, Laguna, Quezon, Mindoro Oriental and Surigao Sur resulting from control of pests and diseases and sufficient water supply during the cropping period,” the PSA said in its report published recently.
However, despite the increase in projection, the PSA’s latest output forecast for second quarter is still 1.69 percent lower than the 4.15 MMT recorded volume during the April-to-June period of 2017.
“Similarly, harvest area may contract to 932,640 hectares, from last year’s level of 947,190 hectares,” it said. “Yield may probably decline by 0.2 percent, from 4.38 metric tons per hectare in 2017.”
However, the 4.62-percent year-on-year expansion in the first quarter palay output would allow the country to surpass its total first half production last year.
The country produced 4.623 MMT of palay in the January-to-March period, higher than the 4.419 MMT recorded in the first quarter of 2017.
The PSA said one of the reasons behind the 4.62-percent increase in the first quarter was the early planting and harvesting by farmers “due to construction of newly irrigation facilities from previous rainfed areas which encouraged the farmers to plant earlier than usual.”
Also, the higher prevailing farm-gate prices of palay enticed farmers to plant and harvest rice earlier.
As of June 1 the PSA said about 824,660 hectares, or 88.4 percent, of the standing crop for the April-to-June period have been harvested.
“Of the updated 595,240 hectares standing palay crop, 58.7 percent were at vegetative stage, 20 percent at reproductive stage and 21.3 percent at maturing stage,” it added.
Furthermore, the PSA said about 487,270 hectares, or 56.1 percent, of the farmers’ planting intentions for the July-to-September period have materialized.
In the same report, the PSA said corn output in the second quarter likely reached 1.28 MMT, slightly lower than its earlier projection of 1.27 MMT.