THE PHILIPPINE Statistics Authority (PSA) said it upgraded its first quarter estimate for production of palay, or unmilled rice, from a previous estimate made in January, with the latest projection representing a 7.5% rise in output from a year earlier.

In its palay and corn estimates report, the PSA said palay production for the three months to March is now estimated at 4.583 million metric tons (MT), up about 0.4% from the earlier forecast.

The PSA said total harvestable area for the quarter is expected to increase 4.6% year on year to 1.148 million hectares. Yield per hectare is also expected to increase 2.8% from a year earlier to 3.99 MT.

It added that 259,710 hectares, producing 933,660 MT of palay, have been harvested as of Feb. 1.

“Of the total area of standing palay to be harvested for April-June 2021, 42.8% or 634,511 hectares were at the vegetative stage, 35.1% or 519,794 hectares at the reproductive stage, and 22.1% or 328,499 at the maturing stage,” it added.

The PSA said corn output for the first quarter is expected to hit 2.52 million MT, representing a 0.3% downgrade from its January estimate.

If the projection is realized, corn output will have risen 9.6% from a year earlier.

The PSA said the harvest area for the quarter is expected to increase 2.4% year on year to 699,967 hectares. Yield per hectare was estimated at 3.60 MT, which would be up 7.1% from a year earlier.

It said about 244,093 hectares producing 759,500 MT of corn have been harvested as of Feb. 1.

“Of the total area of 635,986 hectares of standing crop for the April to June 2021 harvests, 30.1% or 191,113 hectares were at vegetative stage, 38.9% or 247,523 hectares at reproductive stage, and 31.0% or 197,349 hectares at maturing stage,” it added.

The Department of Agriculture has said that it targets output of 20.47 million MT of palay this year. Actual output in 2020 was 19.44 million MT. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

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