Rice production to grow by 2.5%

MANILA — Rice production is expected to grow 2.5 percent on year to 4.13 million metric tons in the first quarter on changes in the cropping practice of farmers, a senior agriculture official said yesterday.

Agriculture Assistant Secretary Dante S. Delima said he expects paddy rice output in the second quarter of the year to post a significant growth as farmers resort to early cropping and ratooning.

“Output for January to June may already include the additional 1 million metric ton of palay which we are targeting from the change in the cropping practice of farmers,” Delima said in a briefing.

The projected output for the first quarter of the year is higher than the 4.035 million tons estimate made by the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics in January.

Delima said the Philippines may be able to reduce rice imports to 100,000 tons next year if the government will be successful in persuading farmers to change their cropping schedule.

Under the government’s plan, farmers will be enjoined to plant a month earlier or by April for the wet cropping season in 2012.

Harvest will then start in August. The plan also calls for a third cropping which may start in October.

“The idea is to avoid the period when strong typhoons usually visit the Philippines,” he said. — Philstar. com