2013 palay harvest shatters PHL record

The country shattered palay harvest records last year, with farmers producing 18.44 million metric tons (MMT) of the grain, the highest ever in the country’s history, Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala has told National Rice Achievers (NRA) awardees during the recognition rites at the Newport Performing Arts Theater, Resorts World Manila, Pasay City. Alcala acknowledged that while the target of 20.04 MMT was not met, the figure was still good for 97-percent rice self-sufficiency. Recently, Asian Development Bank economist Lourdes Adriano and Dr. Roehlano Briones of the Philippine Institute of Development Studies said the Philippines cannot achieve rice self-sufficiency in the next 20 years. They urged the government to cut supply deals with rice-exporting countries like Vietnam, Thailand, the United States, Australia and others. Their arguments have been invoked by unregistered rice importers suspected of flooding the country with cheap subsidized rice from Vietnam, which also gets paddy rice from Cambodia, Thailand, India and other countries. Alcala commended local chief executives of rice-producing provinces, towns and cities for supporting his department’s drive to attain food self-sufficiency. He particularly thanked farmers and irrigators’ associations, as well as agricultural technicians, for their "invaluable contribution” in achieving the palay cropping record. "We value your role in ensuring safe, nutritious, affordable and sufficient supply of food for the Filipino people,” he said. He also urged governors to implement programs that would increase farmers’ production and income. Alcala has called for the integration of good agricultural practices in rice to improve the quality of palay as domestic and global competition intensifies. Appropriate modern technologies to boost overall production must likewise be used, he told farmers. A total of P117.42 million worth of project grants and cash prizes were given out to the 2013 NRA awardees, led by 12 provinces, 48 municipalities, 10 irrigators’ associations, three Small Water Impounding System Associations and 496 Agricultural Extension Workers. Each province received P4 million worth of project grants, while towns received P1 million worth. The IAs and Swisa each received P1 million and P500,000, respectively, while AEWs were each given P20,000 cash prize.//