Philippines rice output drops 11.9% in Q3 due to recent typhoons

Farmers working on rice field. - File photo

MANILA: Recent typhoons have impacted local food production, with the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reporting a drop in palay (unhusked rice) output in the third quarter.

Palay production from July to September is estimated at 3.35 million metric tons, an 11.9 per cent decrease from last year’s 3.8 million metric tons.

The volume was also 1.2-per cent lower than the PSA’s initial forecast of 3.39 million MT last July 1.

The PSA pegged the total harvest area at 796,277 hectares (ha), down by 14.1 per cent, while the palay yield per hectare could have increased by 2.4 per cent to 4.20 MT.

It noted that only 39 per cent or 310,778 ha of crops could be harvested, equivalent to 1.31 million MT of produce. Of these, 83.5 per cent were at the maturing stage and the remaining 16.5 per cent at the reproductive stage.

Corn production, on the other hand, could have climbed by 2.4 per cent to 2.526 million MT from 2.47 million MT in the same period last year.

It said harvest area decreased by 2 per cent to 806,362 ha, with one hectare yielding 3.13 MT, up by 4.3 per cent.

About 42.9 per cent or 346,226 ha of corn would be harvested, for a total of 1.07 million MT of the produce. Of these, 88.6 per cent were at the maturing stage while 11.4 per cent were at the reproductive stage.

Rice and corn were some of the commodities most battered by the El Niño phenomenon, characterised by dry weather, decreased rainfall and typhoons.

This week, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said 2024 proved to be “a litmus test” for the farm sector as it grappled with a “perfect storm” of challenges caused by high fuel and input costs, droughts and floods also due to the La Niña phenomenon and disruptions in the value chain.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said lessons “from recent challenges should push the agency to do a better job next year.”

The DA had estimated the country loses an average of 500,000 MT to 600,000 MT in palay production annually because of typhoons and other natural calamities.

For Supertyphoon Julian (international name: Krathon) alone, the farm sector sustained losses totaling P607.38 million. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN