20.4 MMT PALAY HARVEST TARGET NG DA SA 2021

PUNTIRYA ng Department of Agriculture (DA) na palakasin pa ang rice productivity ng bansa ngayong taon sa tulong ng pinagsamang resulta ng government interventions at ng patuloy na partnerships sa farmers’ groups, rice industry stakeholders, at local government units (LGUs).

“We target to produce 20.4 million metric tons (MMT) of palay, surpassing last year’s record harvest of 19.4 MMT, and factoring in challenges of the lingering pandemic and adverse weather conditions,” wika ni Agriculture Secretary William Dar.

“Coupled with this, we also aim to stabilize the farmgate prices of palay and retail price of rice to benefit millions of farmers and consumers alike,” dagdag pa ng DA chief.

“With tightening global food supply due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we will strongly implement interventions to attain a higher rice adequacy level from last year’s 90 percent to about 95 percent this year.”

Para sa 2021, target ng administrasyong Duterte na magprodyus ng 20.47 MMT ng palay mula sa 4.74 million hectares (ha), kung saan ang mga magsasaka ay bibigyan ng mga libreng punla ng inbred at hybrid rice varieties sa pamamagitan nf major interventions, partikular ang Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF), expanded RCEF, rice resiliency project (RRP), at regular national rice program (NRP).

Noong nakaraang taon, nagbigay ng pagtaya ang Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) na ang palay production ng bansa ay aabot sa kabuuang 19.44 MMT, na binubuo ng actual harvest na 11.9 MMT, mula January hanggang September 2020, at aani ng 7.54 MMT sa fourth quarter, base sa standing crop noong November 1, 2020.

Ang 2020 palay harvest ay mas mataas ng 3.3% kumpara sa 18.81-MMT output noong 2019, at sa19.27 MMT noong 2017.

Ayon kay Dar, ito’y dahil sa napapanahon at nagpapatuloy na interventions sa ilalim ng Plant, Plant, Plant program ng administrasyong Duterte, partikular ang pagkakaloob ng libreng certified inbred seeds sa ilalim ng RCEF, at hybrid seeds at fertilizers sa ilalim ng RRP at NRP— gayundin ng matinding suporta ng mga governor ng top rice-producing provinces, at ng farmers’ groups at federations.