Philippines Misses Rice Production Target Again

What do you think will happen if the Philippines keeps under producing rice and having to import it in from other countries?

Less rice and food causing a continued further crisis and the effects from that?

Increased Philippine budget deficit from costly rice importation and even worse the complete wasting of it in storage?

Angry Philippine farmers revolting who should be getting much more assistance from the Philippine government to produce more rice and food?

These types of questions and many more can go on and on. Is now the time for the Philippines to change or face the consequences of non-action?

Do you think the Global and Philippine rice and food crisis will improve or worsen until something is done? Review current news below on this situation.

Current Rice Food News Headlines from Bloomberg

"South Africa to Import More Wheat, Rice by 2019 as Incomes Rise"

"Sugar, Wheat, Rice Worth $2.9 Billion Ruined by Pakistan Floods"

"Wheat, Corn Stockpiles Dwindle After Russia’s Drought"

"India’s Monsoon Rainfall 26% Below Average Last Week, IMD Says"

"Tropical Storm Dianmu Strengthens on Path to Korea, Japan"

"Indian Flour Mills May Stop Wheat Imports on Soaring Prices"

"China, Pakistan Brace for More Rain After Landslide, Flooding"

Time is running out to learn from the past, to adjust from it now, and change to grow into the future with food security. Urge your Philippine politicians to start now before its too late.

As the genius Albert Einstein said, "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result".

RP to Miss Palay Target in 2010

Manila will continue to import rice in 2011 after the Department of Agriculture (DA) indicated that the country will miss its target of producing 17.4 million metric tons (MMT) of palay this year due to the extensive damage caused by the El Niño weather phenomenon.

At the same time, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said the Philippines has no plans to import additional sugar on top of the 100,000 tons it’s expecting for delivery this quarter.

“For sure, we will not meet the target of producing 17.4 MMT [of rice] for the year. But we are ready to implement a number of measures to ensure that palay production will not go down drastically,” Alcala told reporters in a briefing in Quezon City on Monday.

Among these measures, said Alcala, are the quick turnaround scheme and promoting the planting of upland rice.

Asked about the volume of rice which the Philippines could import next year, the DA chief said the department has not yet finalized production figures.

“Within the next 10 days, we may come up with a decision as to the volume of rice we will import next year,” said Alcala.

He, however, assured the public that the volume will be “significantly lower” than what the government imported in 2010. The Philippines imported a total of 2.45 MMT of rice this year. The volume was contracted in the last quarter of 2009.

The previous administration reasoned out that the extensive damage caused by typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng on the rice sector prompted the government to increase its importation. The government imported less than 2 million tons of rice for 2009.

Lesser per-capita consumption

One factor that is expected to reduce rice imports is the revision of the annual per-capita consumption of rice which is now pegged at 119 kilograms by the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics. Last year the figure used was 128 per kilogram of rice per Filipino.

Earlier, Alcala said he wants to reduce rice imports by as much as 50 percent next year. By 2013, the DA wants to drastically reduce or wipe out rice imports altogether.

The Philippines has become the world’s top importer of the staple in recent years. The government usually imports rice to plug production shortfall and to ensure that the National Food Authority (NFA) has a buffer stock.

The NFA is mandated to keep a buffer stock equivalent to 30 days of rice consumption during the months of July, August and September, and 15 days at any given time of the year.

By Business Mirror




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