Prolonged El Niño curbed third quarter palay output

Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. —MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

The country produced 3.36 million metric tons (MT) of palay (unhusked rice) in the July to September period, down by 11.4 percent from last year’s output, as the prolonged dry spell caused by El Niño severely affected farmers’ harvests.

In a report, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said the third-quarter palay production estimated as of Aug. 1 was also 0.7 percent lower than the 3.39 million MT projected as of July 1.

It estimated a decline in the harvest area based on standing by 14.1 percent to 796,469 MT while the yield per hectare of palay reached 4.22 MT, an increment of 2.9 percent.

READ: El Niño-La Niña duo setting up PH for weak palay yield

The PSA said 116,412 hectares of standing crop have been harvested, accounting for 14.6 percent of the total.

About 14.9 percent of standing palay crops yet to be harvested were at the vegetative stage while 58.7 percent of these were at the reproductive stage. The remaining 26.4 percent were at the maturing stage.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. reiterated his previous stance that local palay output would be flat this year because of the El Niño phenomenon, characterized by below-normal rainfall conditions.

“Production declined due to El Niño but we expect it to increase once La Niña begins. As I said yesterday, a curveball in the form of a typhoon might affect our production. But hopefully, I guess I am comfortable to say that production will be at least equal to last year,” he said (translated from Filipino) on the sidelines of an event in Makati City on Tuesday.

The country had recorded the highest palay output of 20.06 million MT in 2023, up by 1.5 percent from 19.76 million MT a year ago, data from the PSA showed.

However, in the first semester of 2024, palay production decreased by 5.5 percent to 8.53 million MT from 9.03 million MT.

READ: Farm losses from El Niño climb to P9.89B

Meanwhile, the PSA pegged corn output at 2.52 million MT, rising by 2.4 percent from the actual volume of 2.47 million MT a year ago.

On a quarterly basis, the volume of corn production dipped by 0.3 percent from the 2.53 million MT recorded in the April to June period.

The harvest area based on standing crop was estimated to have gone down by 1.9 percent to 806,526 hectares, while the yield per hectare of corn likely climbed by 4.3 percent to 3.13 MT.

Some 161,674 hectares of standing corn have been harvested, equivalent to 20 percent of the total.

About 6.9 percent of standing corn crops for harvest were at the vegetative stage, 59.9 percent at the reproductive stage and 33.1 percent at the maturing stage.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. reiterated his previous stance that local palay output would be flat this year because of El Niño phenomenon, characterized by below-normal rainfall conditions.

“Production declined due to El Niño but we expect it to increase once La Niña begins. As I said yesterday, a curveball in the form of a typhoon might affect our production. But hopefully, I gues I am comfortable to say that production will be at least equal to last year,” he said (translated from Filipino) on the sideline of an event in Makati City on Tuesday.

The country had recorded the highest palay output of 20.06 million MT in 2023, up by 1.5 percent from 19.76 million MT a year ago, data from the PSA showed.

However, in the first semester of 2024, palay production decreased by 5.5 percent to 8.53 million MT from 9.03 million MT.

Meanwhile, the PSA pegged corn output at 2.52 million MT, rising by 2.4 percent from the actual volume of 2.47 million mT a year ago. INQ