THE Aquino government remains optimistic that it will achieve its goal of rice self-sufficiency by 2013 with the implementation of various projects for farmers in Luzon whose crops were damaged by floodwaters and heavy rains due to typhoons and the southwest monsoon, a Palace official said.
Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda issued the statement during a regular press briefing in Malacanang on Wednesday amid news reports about the claim of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) that the Philippines will miss its target of attaining rice self-sufficiency next year due to infrastructure constraints.
The Department of Agriculture is providing free rice seeds and crop insurance to farmers in Luzon whose crops were damaged by floodwaters and heavy rains due to typhoons ‘Ferdie’ and ‘Gener’ and the Habagat 2012, according to Lacierda.
“They were given certified seeds and also they were given free insurance. We will expect a harvest sometime in December on those planted this time or after the habagat. So we, and Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, are very confident that we will attain rice self-sufficiency by 2013,” Lacierda said.
Alcala earlier said the performance of the agriculture sector grew by one percent during the first six months of the year. To offset crop losses, he said the DA will encourage farmers to plant a third crop of rice immediately after the current main season.
Alcala further said that there is no need to import additional rice this year as there is sufficient supply. In fact, he said harvest of palay during the first six months of the year has reached 7.89 million metric tons (MT), which is 4.2% higher than last year’s 7.58 million MT.
The prospects are also bright for the second semester palay production, based on a survey of standing crops and on farmers’ planting intentions, according to the DA’s Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS).
The DA-BAS forecasts that 3rd and 4th quarter palay production may reach 3.56 million MT, and 6.36 million MT, respectively, for a total of 9.92 million MT.
In all, palay production for 2012 may reach 17.8 million MT, which would be another record harvest, and 6.7% more than last year’s output of 16.68 million MT. (PCOO/I-gg)
