Palay output seen flat this year

MANILA, Philippines — The country’s full-year palay production could match the record-high output of 20.06 million metric tons (MT) last year at best as the sector continues to reel from various weather disturbances, an agriculture official said.

The damage to the rice sector caused by prolonged hotter and drier weather conditions due to El Niño in the first half proved to be damaging in the overall outlook in the country’s output.

The country’s production from January to June fell by nearly 500,000 MT on an annual basis because of the extreme weather condition.

And since the country is projected to face La Niña in the second half, Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) deputy executive director Flordeliza Bordey said total palay harvest may contract on a year-on-year basis or remain flat at best.

“It is possible that we may face more calamities for the rest of the year so we may not be able to (match last year’s output)” Bordey said.

“We are still hoping to get as much as we did last year. That is the good scenario that we are looking at right now,” she added.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported earlier that palay output in the first half contracted by more than five percent to a four-year low due to lower farm yield as some farmers delayed planting amid threats brought about by the El Niño phenomenon.

Domestic palay or unhusked rice output in the January to June period declined by 5.5 percent to 8.53 million metric tons from 9.026 million MT, latest PSA data showed.

The latest output is the lowest first-half production recorded by the country since 2020 when production fell to 8.386 million MT, based on PSA data.

PSA data indicated that both production of irrigated and rainfed palay during the six-month period contracted on an annual basis.

Government officials and industry stakeholders attributed the reduction in palay output to the ill effects of hotter and drier weather conditions caused by the El Niño phenomenon in the first half.