Jasper Emmanuel Arcalas – The Philippine Star 

MANILA, Philippines —  Palay production in the first half rebounded to over nine million metric tons, hitting a record-high volume as a result of state interventions coupled by more favorable weather conditions.

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 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.

Agriculture officials attributed the increase in yield and harvest area to government programs including the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund and the double dry cropping strategy of the National Irrigation Administration.

“Even though it was a dry season there were some rains that helped the harvest. Our support for mechanization, seeds and irrigation is bearing fruit,” said Department of Agriculture Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa.

However, some industry stakeholders remain skeptical of the improvements in the country’s palay production.

For one, the increase in palay production compared to its 2023 level is just minimal at 0.55 percent. Furthermore, the total planted area in the first half slightly shrank from the almost 2.14 million hectares recorded in 2023.

“It seems we are just back to square one. The harvested area declined plus this was offset by improvement in yield. But again, not much change compared to 2023,” said Raul Montemayor of the Federation of Free Farmers.

Palay production in the second quarter alone rose by almost 14 percent year-on-year to 4.38 million MT from 3.85 million MT, PSA data showed.

Industry stakeholders and government officials earlier noted that second-quarter harvest may increase above the 2023 figures after some farmers delayed their planting as reflected in the contraction of area harvested in the first quarter.

The Department of Agriculture estimated that the country would post a record-high palay harvest of 20.46 million MT this year due to better weather conditions and more state production interventions.

The projected output translates to a milled rice production of nearly 12.89 million MT, still insufficient to meet the country’s total rice demand of 15.54 million MT.

Published Date: August 4, 2025