DA cuts palay output target due to 'Juan' damage

MANILA, Philippines - Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said the country’s palay (paddy rice) production target this year of 16.2 million metric tons will not be achieved following the devastation caused by Typhoon Juan to crops in Northern Luzon.

During the ceremonial launch yesterday of the Food for Progress project of the Department of Agriculture with the USDA and RFM Corp. in Pasig, Alcala told reporters that the already lowered palay production target would not be met following the destruction caused by the typhoon. The original palay production target for 2010 was 17.4 MMT.

Alcala, however, declined to reveal the scaled down full year palay output on concerns it would influence the country’s plan to import rice next year.

The government, Alcala added, is already discussing its rice import requirements and will come up with the planned rice import figures by December.

However, he said the government would not reveal how much it plans to import next year so as not to affect rice prices.

The DA is monitoring world prices and trying to scout other rice-producing countries it can source cheap rice from.

The Philippines’ primary source of imported rice are Vietnam, Pakistan and Thailand.

Despite the lower palay production target this year, Alcala said they are still sticking to the target of achieving rice self-sufficiency for the country by 2013, hinged on the mitigation measures that the DA is putting in place.

In fact he said he expects palay production next year to increase following the rehabilitation of irrigation facilities and infrastructure.

Based on the targets drawn up during the time of former President Arroyo and Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap, the 2013 palay production target had been raised to 20.1 MMT from 19.7 MMT.

In a previous interview with Agriculture Assistant Secretary Dennis Araullo, he had told The STAR that the rice targets up to 2013 would have to be reviewed following recent developments.

Araullo, who now heads the consolidated Rice and Corn Program of the DA qualified that the higher targets (including those for 2011 and 2012) are “attainable as long as the necessary intervention measures have been put in place.”

For 2011, the palay production target had been set at 17.5 MMT and for 2012, the target is 18.4 MMT.