DA to keep 2013 rice importation cap if 2012 production targets are met

The government will keep its cap on rice importation at 100,000 metric tons in 2013 if 2012’s rice production target is met, said Department of Agriculture Assistant Secretary Dante Delima.   The Agriculture Department recently readjusted its 2012 rice production target to 17.8 MT from 18.4 million MT. The 2012 target tonnage would place the country’s sufficiency level at 95 percent. The sufficiency level in 2011 was 94 percent.   “We are hoping that the target production for the year will be attained,” said Delima in a phone interview Wednesday.   He added that the government had made provisions for typhoon-related losses in rice production tonnage in 2013's importation forecast .   The country should achieve rice self-sufficiency by 2013 with a target output of 20.04 million MT.   By 2014, production is expected to reach 21 million MT with 22 million MT projected for 2015 and 2016.   “The effect of that [rice self-sufficiency] will be felt in 2014 wherein the government will not import rice anymore.” said Delima.   Earlier, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala underscored the importance of having a bigger budget to accommodate more sufficiency programs in 2013 and beyond.   "We will pursue the food staples sufficiency program to attain 100 percent rice self sufficiency by the end of 2013," Alcala said.   The Agriculture Department is asking for a P74.1 billion budgetary allocation to step-up productivity programs, not only for the staples, but for other crops and related-infrastructures.      “I still believe we can meet the target. We’re hoping to catch up with production even with reports of thousands of metric tons of palay ruined due to typhoons,” Alcala said. Furthermore, he added that farmers are still planning to conduct a third cropping.   Production of palay, the country’s major staple, grew 4.5 percent to 7.89 million MT from 7.57 million MT in 2011. — DVM, GMA News