Palay output falls in January-March

THE country’s production of the seasonally adjusted

(unmilled rice) reached 45.06 million metric tons (MT) in January-March this year, significantly lower that its levels in the previous quarter and in the same period in 2019, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said.

In its report titled “Seasonally Adjusted Palay/ Rice Production and Prices,” the PSA said palay output for the first three months of 2020 was down by 7.36 percent from 48.64 million MT in October-December last year and 3.18 percent lower from last year’s 46.54 million MT.

The deseasonalized farmgate price of palay during the period slightly decreased by 0.18 percent to P16.24 per kilo as against its level in the previous quarter. Likewise, it was down from last year’s P19.74 per kilo.

The wholesale price for rice contracted by 1.47 percent to P37.48 per kilo year-on-year, PSA said. Year-on-year, it also fell by 9.71 percent from P41.51 per kilo.

On the other hand, its equivalent retail price at P41.30 per kilo was 1.31 percent and 11.85-percent lower from its level in the previous quarter and the same period in 2019, respectively.

For this year, the Department of Agriculture (DA) is targeting to increase the country’s rice self-sufficiency from the current 87 percent to 93 percent.

Agriculture Secretary William Dar had said the DA was mainly banking on its P8.5-billion Rice Resiliency Program (RRP), a part of its Plant, Plant Plant program, which will yield an extra 1 million MT of rice and help improve the country’s selfsufficiency level.

He said the government was also expecting to boost local farmers’ competitiveness through the various programs under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF), a major component of the “Rice Tariffication Law.” It includes distribituion of seeds, fertilizers, and farm machineries to farmers nationwide, among others.

EIREENE JAIREE GOMEZ