Production down 4.5% in July-Sept

THE country’s (unmilled rice) output went down by 4.5 percent to 3.05 million metric tons (MMT) in the third quarter of the year from 3.20 MMT in 2018, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said.

In its July to September “Palay and in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Corn Quarterly Bulletin,” the PSA at 62,500, 17,470 and 15,470 hectares, blamed the reduction on the harvest respectively,” the PSA said. area declining by 9.8 percent to The harvest area in Western 742,870 hectares (ha) from 824,870 Visayas dropped by 70.2 percent to ha in the same period in 2018. 232,080 ha from 780,000 ha a year

It noted, however, that yield per earlier, according to the agency. hectare increased by 6 percent to Of the total palay output in the 4.11 MT per hectare from last year’s quarter, some 75.6 percent were 3.88 MT. irrigated, while the remaining 24.4

“Reduction in palay output was percent were rainfed. brought by substantial decrements in Rice production from irrigated harvest area in Western Visayas, Soccsksargen areas reached 2.31 MMT, up 0.5 and the Autonomous Region percent from its 2018 level.

Asakawa has held senior positions at Japan’s Finance ministry, including vice minister of finance for international affairs, and gained wide professional experience in development policy, foreign- exchange markets and international tax policy.

He served as finance deputy for the Group of 20 (G-20) summit in Osaka, Japan in June and the group’s Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting in Fukuoka, Japan.

He also frequently engaged with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, including as chairman of its Committee on Fiscal Affairs from 2011 to 2016.

The new ADB chief served as visiting professor of the University of Tokyo from 2012 to 2015 and at Saitama University from 2006 to 2009.

Asakawa received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Tokyo in 1981 and masteral degree in public administration from Princeton University in 1985.

“Bulk of the increase in the volume of palay production from irrigated areas came from Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon and Soccsksargen,” the PSA said.

Rainfed palay output reached 750,000 MT, down 17.3 percent from last year’s 900,000 MT. Western Visayas and the ARMM remained its top producers, with a combined output of 59.2 percent.

Meanwhile, the country’s corn production increased by 23.5 percent to 2.72 MMT from 2.21 MMT a year ago.

Harvest area also went up by 11.4 percent to 874,400 MT from 784,930 MT last year. Yield per hectare improved to 3.11 MT from 2.81 MT.

The increase was seen in Cagayan Valley, which registered 440,000 MT, or 141.8 percent year- on- year. The ARMM came next with 120,000 MT.

“The improvement in production was attributed to the increase in harvest areas and yield in these regions,” the PSA said.

Of the total corn production, yellow corn accounted for 69.1 percent, while white corn made up the remaining 30.9 percent.

Yellow corn output reached 1.88 MMT, up 39.3 percent from last year’s 1.35 MMT. The major yellow corn producing regions were Cagayan Valley, Northern Mindanao and Soccsksargen, with a combined 72.9 percent.

White corn production hit 840,000 MT, down 1.5 percent from 860,000 MT in 2018. The bulk or 52.4 percent of total output was shared by Northern Mindanao and the ARMM.

besides being the NGCP president, what right does he have to gain the access.

According to the Energy chief, he had requested the NGCP’s inspection, which the company had refused “in many occasions.”