Secretary of the Philippines’ Department for Agriculture Proceso J. Alcala has warned the country’s rice and corn production in the forth quarter this year will less than forecasted due to impacts of super typhoon Haiyan.
In its Rice and Corn Situation and Outlook released last week, the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics said the rice production is expected to increase 10.3 percent to reach 7.22 million tonnes in the fourth quarter of this year.
Meanwhile, corn production was forecasted at 1.45 million tonnes, a 3.8 percent decrease over the same period last year.
However, the bureau’s report did not take into account the impacts of eight storms hitting the country since October this year, especially super typhoon Haiyan, the world’s most powerful storm in the year.
Therefore, Alcala said it will be challenging for the government to fulfil its target of 3-5 percent growth in agriculture output this year.
In the first ninth months of this year, the production was already short of the target as it increased only 1.1 percent, he added.
Rollando T.Dy, executive director of the Pacific’s Centre for Food and Agribusiness, held that agriculture growth would have to hit six percent in the last quarter to fulfil the yearly plan.
That will be difficult to attain, because the central Philippines , which account for 17 percent of the whole agriculture production, was severely hit by Haiyan earlier this month, he said.-VNA
In its Rice and Corn Situation and Outlook released last week, the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics said the rice production is expected to increase 10.3 percent to reach 7.22 million tonnes in the fourth quarter of this year.
Meanwhile, corn production was forecasted at 1.45 million tonnes, a 3.8 percent decrease over the same period last year.
However, the bureau’s report did not take into account the impacts of eight storms hitting the country since October this year, especially super typhoon Haiyan, the world’s most powerful storm in the year.
Therefore, Alcala said it will be challenging for the government to fulfil its target of 3-5 percent growth in agriculture output this year.
In the first ninth months of this year, the production was already short of the target as it increased only 1.1 percent, he added.
Rollando T.Dy, executive director of the Pacific’s Centre for Food and Agribusiness, held that agriculture growth would have to hit six percent in the last quarter to fulfil the yearly plan.
That will be difficult to attain, because the central Philippines , which account for 17 percent of the whole agriculture production, was severely hit by Haiyan earlier this month, he said.-VNA
