PRODUCTION of palay, or unmilled rice, is estimated to have grown 1.4% year on year during the second quarter, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said.
In a report on Tuesday, the PSA estimated palay output during the period at 4.26 million metric tons (MT), based on the standing crop as of May 1.
The estimate is 0.4% lower than the initial forecast issued on April 1, which put production at 4.28 million MT.
The harvest area for the quarter is estimated to have risen 0.8% year on year to 961.14 thousand hectares, while the assumed yield per hectare is estimated to have grown 0.5% to 4.43 MT.
The PSA reported that about 603.24 thousand hectares or 62.8% of the updated standing crop have been harvested.
Production at the harvested area was 2.76 million MT.
“The total area to be harvested was 357.90 thousand hectares as of May 1. About 69.7% of standing palay was at the maturing stage, 28.9% at the reproductive stage, and 1.4% at the vegetative stage,” the PSA said.
The PSA added that its corn production estimate for the second quarter was 1.46 million MT, down 1.7% from a year earlier.
In the three months to June, The PSA reduced its estimate for harvest area by 2.6% to 409 thousand hectares, while the expected yield per hectare estimated to have risen 0.9% year on year to 3.57 MT.
The PSA also reported that about 234.35 thousand hectares or 57.3% of the updated standing crop have been harvested, producing 969.24 thousand MT.
“Of the total area of 174.66 thousand hectares of standing corn yet to be harvested as of May 1, 59.2% were at the maturing stage, 33.9% at the reproductive stage, and 6.9% were at the vegetative stage,” the PSA said. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera