Reg. 6 eyes 2.6M metric tons of rice production

ILOILO CITY, Philippines — Western Visayas has to produce 2.6 million metric tons of rice to help the Philippines meet its rice stability target for this year and end rice importation from other rice-producing countries, according to the Department of Agriculture-Region 6 (DA-6).

DA-6 director Larry Nacionales, citing 2013 as the Year of Rice, said Western Visayas is now into land preparation for early planting as rainy season is about to start this June.

Nacionales said our country should produce more than 20 million metric tons of rice to meet the stability target, which is much higher than last year's target of 18 million metric tons.

Of the target, Western Visayas must contribute 2. 6 million metric tons of rice, a volume that is very obtainable considering that the region has produced 2.29 million metric tons last year, said Nacionales.

Based on DA-6's forecast, about 612,000 metric tons of rice will be produced from January to June and then 953.000 metric tons from August to September or the third quarter of this year, he said.

Prior to the wet season, the DA-6 has been promoting white corn as an alternative food to answer the increasing consumption of rice in the region. Nacionales said some people mixed the white corn with rice as alternative meal. (FREEMAN)