Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. expressed confidence in a better second-quarter performance for agriculture, as improved weather conditions and stronger, more timely interventions ordered by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. are expected to drive a significant rise in rice and corn output.
“Given the latest production forecasts from the Philippine Statistics Authority, we’re hopeful this quarter will build on the momentum we saw at the start of the year,” said Secretary Tiu Laurel. “But we must not let our guard down. We are doubling down on efforts to increase food production while boosting farmer incomes.”
After slowing to a growth of 0.5 percent in the first quarter of 2024 due to El Niño, the agriculture sector rebounded by 2.2 percent in 1Q 2025 – the same growth rate posted in the first quarter of 2023.
The latest projections from the PSA suggest even stronger growth ahead. Palay output is estimated to reach 4.36 million metric tons in the second quarter, up 13 percent from the same period last year. This is also slightly higher than the April forecast of 4.34 million MT.
The increase is driven by both expanded harvest area—up 9.2 percent to 972,730 hectares—and improved yields, projected at 4.48 MT per hectare, from 4.32 MT in 2024.
Rice production has clearly benefited from favorable weather, increased government support through the National Rice Program (NRP), Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF), and stronger palay procurement by the National Food Authority (NFA). NFA currently buys palay at prices between P18 and P24 per kilo.
Corn production is expected to grow even more dramatically. Based on standing crops as of May 1, the PSA projects second-quarter output at 1.487 million MT—27 percent more than last year. Harvest area is set to expand by 16 percent to 402,690 hectares.
Moreover, Tiu Laurel also highlighted that contract farming initiatives and sustained irrigation support from the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) are empowering farmers to make better decisions and expand production.
“These numbers are encouraging, but this is just the beginning,” he said. “With sustained funding support for rice programs, we remain fully committed to achieving food security by end-2028, in line with the President’s vision.”
Rice and corn production as major contributors to crop production, which accounts for around 57 percent of the country’s agricultural output.
