Farmers’ harvest of 4.626M mt in Jan-March 2021 is 8.6% higher than the same period in 2020 and also breaks the 2018 Q1 record harvest.
Secretary William D. Dar expressed optimism that, barring destructive typhoons and other natural calamities, the record first-quarter achievement will help hit the 20.4M mt palay production target this year.
Dar commended rice farmers, local government technologists and leaders, including industry stakeholders nationwide for this achievement and the ‘One DA’ team for “vigorously implementing the various interventions that led to the improvements in yield.”
Meanwhile, DA-PhilRice Executive Director John C. de Leon attributed the production growth to area harvested, which expanded by 4.53%, while yield grew by 3.87%.
De Leon said in his report to Dar that “area harvested to rice expanded to 1.15M hectares (ha) from 1.10M ha, while yield increased from 3.88mt/ha to 4.03mt/ha.
“Overall, area harvested contributed 54% to the incremental first-quarter production, while the share of yield was 46%,” de Leon said.
The first-quarter growth in palay output occurred both in rainfed and irrigated areas, he added.
“This shows that our palay farmers are confident to continue planting rice despite the changes in the country’s rice policy,” Dar said.
Meanwhile, a more stable rice market is expected this year despite the Covid-19 pandemic due to the massive allocation for the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF), complemented by DA’s national inbred and hybrid rice programs and Rice Resiliency Project, he added. “We are slowly achieving a favorable equilibrium, wherein consumers have access to affordable rice, while our farmers reap bountiful harvests and earn bigger incomes as a result of yield improvements and stable prices of palay,” Dar said.
