PALAY (unmilled rice) and corn production likely declined in the third quarter (Q3) as farmers harvested smaller areas, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said on Tuesday.
Based on standing crops as of Aug. 1, palay output was estimated at 3.19 million metric tons (MT), down 15 percent from the 3.75 million MT in the same period last year.
The latest forecast was also 2.2 percent lower than the PSA’s July 1 estimate of 3.26 million MT.
The areas harvested for palay were projected to shrink by 15.8 percent to 771,790 hectares (ha) from 916,770 a year earlier.
The decline in harvest areas, however, could be partly offset by higher productivity. Palay yield was expected to improve by 1 percent to 4.13 MT per ha from 4.09 MT previously.
As of Aug. 1, farmers had harvested 113,790 ha, equivalent to 14.7 percent of the projected areas, producing 455,250 MT of palay.
Another 1.55 million ha of palay remained standing. Of this area, 60.1 percent of the crop was in the vegetative stage, 26.1 percent in the reproductive stage and 13.8 percent in the maturing stage.
Farmers had planted 892,320 ha, or 56.4 percent of the 1.58 million ha they intended to cultivate during the quarter.
Corn
Third-quarter corn production was estimated at 2.08 million MT, down 14.4 percent from the 2.43 million MT a year earlier.
The updated forecast was also 1.5 percent below the PSA’s July 1 estimate of 2.11 million MT.
The areas harvested for corn were expected to contract by 12.8 percent to 688,030 ha from 789,240 in the same period last year.
Unlike palay, corn was also projected to register a lower yield. Productivity was estimated to fall by 1.6 percent to 3.02 MT per ha from 3.07 MT a year earlier.
As of Aug. 1, farmers had harvested 129,950 ha, or 18.9 percent of the projected harvest areas, producing 366,790 MT of corn.
Standing corn covered 798,370 ha. Of this total, 39.2 percent of the crop was in the reproductive stage, 31.2 percent in the maturing stage and 29.6 percent in the vegetative stage.
Farmers had planted 240,280 ha, representing 38 percent of the 632,420 ha they intended to cultivate during the quarter, the PSA said. CHYNNA GRACE ONG
