Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 18) — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. allayed worries about the country’s rice supply as harvest has already begun in major palay-producing provinces.
In a statement released by the Palace on Friday, Marcos said the government is closely monitoring the staple’s supply and prices in local markets.
“Mayroon naman tayong balita na nagsimula na ang pag-aani sa Nueva Ecija, sa Isabela, at saka sa North Cotabato,” he said.
[Translation: We received reports that harvest in Nueva Ecija, Isabela, North Cotabato already started.]
The president said this is expected to boost supply and help stabilize rice prices.
“Babantayan namin nang mabuti para tiyakin na ganon ang mangyari,” he said.
[Translation: We’ll be watching closely to make sure that happens.]
According to DA Undersecretary for rice industry development Leo Sebastian, palay harvest is expected to peak late September to October this year.
Barring strong typhoons in the coming months that may adversely affect Central and Northern Luzon, he said they are aiming to harvest up to 11.5 million metric tons (MT) of palay in the second semester of 2023.
“This would breach the 20 million MT total national palay production, making it a record, being the highest in the country’s history,” Sebastian said in a statement on Thursday.
Citing data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, Sebastian said palay harvest from January to June 2023 rose to 9.02 million MT, up 3.4% from the 8.7 million MT palay production seen in the same six-month period last year and in 2021.
Sebastian said early palay harvest equivalent to 900,000 MT will come from the provinces of Isabela, Nueva Ecija, and Cotabato.
“Farmers in these provinces were able to plant early in May, or four months ago, earlier than when the counterparts from other rice-producing areas in terms of harvest operations started planting,” he added.
On Wednesday, lawmakers criticized the DA’s plan to import over one million metric tons of rice from the third quarter of this year until early 2024. Agriculture officials, however, said this was necessary to increase inventory and curb the further uptick in rice prices.
READ: Flag of surrender? Lawmakers slam DA for rice import plans
Sebastian also said the DA will continue to provide rice farmers with needed high-yielding seeds, fertilizers, biofertilizers, soil ameliorants, farm machinery, and extension support this coming dry season.
