The Philippines may import only 300,000 to 400,000 metric tons of rice next if the harvest for 2011 exceeds the 17.4-million MT target, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said Friday.
“It is likely that we may produce more than our self-imposed target of 17.4 million metric tons for 2011," he told reporters in a forum in Quezon City.
Under the National Food Authority’s importation program, the 860,000 MT of rice to be imported this year is a third of the total importation in 2011
Under present conditions, with palay output expected at 19.2 million MT, government plans to import no more than 500, 000 MT as buffer stock for 2012.
In 2010, total palay output reached 15.77 million MT.
The Agriculture Department expects palay production to hit 8 million MT in the first semester of 2011 up, 20.8 percent from 6.62 million MT a year earlier.
Government also expects the third quarter palay output to expand by 32 percent with areas planted with palay and better weather conditions.
Area harvested may increase by 10.2 percent from last year’s record of 1.82 million hectares. Yield per hectare may improve from 3.64 MT in 2010 to 3.80 MT in 2011.
According to the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics, palay output from July to October this year will expand by 32 percent to 3.49 million MT from 2.65 million MT during the same 2010 period.
Once the country achieves the target volume of 21.12 million MT by 2013, this will give the Philippines more than enough to cover its domestic consumption and rice reserves.
By then, Alcala said that the country may even export organic, fancy rice varieties to the US and Europe. — AY/VS
