Palay production to hit Q4 target despite Pablo damage — Agri Dep't

Palay production is expected to reach its target output of 6.49 million metric tons (MT) in the fourth quarter despite the damage wrought by Typhoon Pablo in parts of Mindanao, Visayas and Palawan, the Department of Agriculture said. "The rice sector in Mindanao was not badly hit because most of the palay are still in what we call the vegetative stage," said Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said in an interview. Recent field reports estimate that about 16,588 MT of rice worth P407.4 million were lost to the typhoon. According to the Department, the Zamboanga Peninsula, northern Mindanao, Davao Region, SOCCSKARGEN, and the ARMM are among the country's major rice-producing regions. A recent report of the Bureau of Agricultural Research showed that based on standing crop, the Philippines will increase paddy rice output by 9.2 percent on year to 6.49 million MT for the fourth quarter—a forecast that they have not changed despite Pablo's impact. Incremental output is due to an increase in the harvest by 2.2 percent on year to 1.71 million hectares while yield per hectare may also improve by almost 7 percent on year to 3.8 MT. Palay production in 2012 is expected to grow 7.7 percent on year to 17.98  million MT. The Agricultural Statistics Agency also expects palay output for the first quarter of 2013 to grow 4.1 percent on year to 3.99 million MT. — BM, GMA News