Typhoons seen to crimp 2023 rice production

MANILA  -The Philippines is expected to reduce its milled rice output slightly due to recent typhoons that ravaged some parts of the archipelago.

In a report, the US Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service projected rice production to reach 12.63 million metric tons (milled basis) for marketing year 2023-2024.

This represented a minimal downward adjustment from the 12.60 million MT estimated for marketing year 2022-2023, yet higher than the 12.54 million MT recorded for marketing year 2021-2022.

The USDA noted that marketing year begins with the third quarter, July through September.
Harvested area is pegged at 4.9 million hectares, up by 1 percent from a year ago. But yield (rough) is forecast at 4.13 tons per hectare, down by less than 1 percent.

READ: Keeping PH fed: More rice imports loom but at higher costs

According to the report, rice output on a quarterly basis for marketing year 2022-2023 “have achieved higher-than-expected results owing to favorable weather and higher planted area.”

Citing data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), rice output for the third and first quarter cycles, along preliminary estimates for the second quarter cycle “have achieved year-to-year increases of 1 percent, 5 percent and 1 percent, respectively.”

However, it dropped 2 percent year-on-year “for the fourth quarter cycle as a result of inclement weather that impacted rice area,” it added.

Based on the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) latest tally, the farm sector sustained P4.66 billion in losses due to Typhoons Egay (international name: Doksuri) and Falcon (international name: Khanun).

READ: Egay agri damage climbs to P4.47 billion; 29 die