MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) is optimistic that total palay harvest this year will surpass 20.46 million metric tons (MT) following a historic first half production, driven by better weather conditions and sustained state support.
“Palay and corn production for the January–June semester gives us hope for a better year for agriculture despite the challenges we now face,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said.
“Mother Nature permitting, and with the help of President Marcos and lawmakers, we are cautiously optimistic that we could post a record harvest this year,” Tiu Laurel added.
Palay harvest from January to June reached 9.08 million MT, about six percent higher than the 8.53 million MT output in the same period last year, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
The latest palay production figure is the highest first half output ever recorded, PSA data showed.
The six-month figure surpassed the previous record of 9.03 million MT in 2023. In 2023, the country posted its highest full-year palay harvest of 20.06 million MT.
The increase in harvest this year was caused by higher yield and more planted areas as farmers were encouraged by the favorable weather conditions following the absence of an extreme weather condition.
Last year, Filipino rice farmers grappled with the El Niño phenomenon that caused prolonged dry spell across key producing provinces nationwide.
Total palay harvest area in the first half reached 2.12 million hectares, up from last year’s 2.06 million hectares, based on PSA data.
“Since the first-half harvest typically accounts for more than 40 percent of annual production, the latest figures suggest the country may surpass the DA’s 2025 target of 20.46 million MT – higher than the 20.06-MT record set in 2023,” the DA said.
To match the current record harvest of 20.06 million MT, the country needs to produce at least 10.95 million MT in the second half.
Meanwhile, second half first harvest must reach 11.38 million MT to hit the DA’s full-year palay production target of 20.46 million MT.
The average second half palay harvest in the past five years was at 10.93 million MT, based on PSA data. If this year’s wet season harvest hits the same volume, then the full-year palay production will be at 20 million MT, short of the standing record output of 20.06 million MT.
But if the second half palay harvest matches the 2023 output of 11 million MT, this year’s total production will be at least 20.11 million MT, a new all-time high.
Some of the factors that will drive second half palay harvest include the National Irrigation Administration’s third cropping program, intensified state interventions led by the DA’s national rice program and rice competitiveness enhancement fund, officials said.
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