The country’s palay output in the first three months of 2024 could reach 4.83 million metric tons, higher by 1.1 percent compared to the actual production of 4.78 million metric tons, with the drier weather caused by El Nino likely boosting yield.
Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that end-February estimate of potential rice harvest in the January-March quarter was higher by 0.6 percent compared to the end-January estatimate of 4.80 metric tons. The estimated palay production was based on standing crop for the first quarter.
The latest estimate also showed that while area planted to rice may have declined to 1.17 million hectares compared to 1.18 million in the same period last year, yield per hectare likely climbed to 4.11 metric tons from the actual 4.06 metric tons in the year-earlier period.
The PSA said that as of Feb. 1, around 381,570 hectares out of the 1.17 million planted to rice have been harvested, yielding around 1.29 million metric tons. Of the remaining area, 6.7 percent showed palay were still on the vegetative state, 57 percent at the reproductive stage while the balance were at the maturing stage.
Meantime, the PSA estimated that corn production in the first quarter, based on standing crop, may increase by 5.9 percent to 2.67 million metrics from the actual output of 2.52 million metric tons in the first quarter of 2023.
The area planted to corn was estimated to have increased by 2.5 percent to 711,470 hectares while yield was projected to rise by 3.3 percent year-on-year to 3.75 metric tons. Of the areas planted to corn, around 32 percent have been harvested as of February 1.
