Palay output lower in 2nd quarter
Credit to Author: EIREENE JAIREE GOMEZ| Date: Fri, 16 Aug 2019 16:20:31 +0000
THE country’s palay (unmilled rice) production decreased to 4.562 million metric tons (MMT) in the second quarter of 2019 from figures posted in both the first quarter and a year ago, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
In its “Seasonally Adjusted Palay/Rice Production and Prices” report released on Friday, the state-run statistics agency said the latest figure was a 5.3-percent drop from 4.815 MMT in January to March and a 1.8-percent dip from 4.644 MTT in April to June 2018.
The deseasonalized farmgate price of palay in the three months ending June also slid by 8 percent to P18.13 per kilo from the quarter-ago amount. It also dropped from last year’s P20.85 per kilo.
The wholesale price of rice contracted by 5.3 percent to P39.37 per kilo year-on-year. Quarter-on-quarter, it fell by 4.1 percent.
The staple’s retail price was at P43.55 per kilo, 7.3 percent and 1.7 percent lower than the amounts recorded in the first quarter and a year earlier, respectively.
In a separate report released earlier this week, the PSA said the average farmgate price of palay of P17.76 per kilo as of the fourth week of July was still lower than the levels posted in the previous weeks. The amount was also a 18.6-percent decrease from P21.81 per kilo last year.
The average wholesale price of well-milled rice in the period inched up to P39.14 per kilo from the week before, but fell by 8.1 percent from last year’s P42.59 per kilo.
At retail trade, the average price of well-milled rice at P42.67 per kilo was 0.3-percent lower week-on-week. It also down 5.8 percent from P45.31 per kilo in the same period last year.
The average wholesale price of regular-milled rice rose to P35.27 per kilo from P35.25 per kilo a week earlier. Year-on-year, it decreased by 9.8 percent.
Its retail price slightly increased to P38.38 per kilo, but fell by 7.7 percent from P41.57 per kilo a year ago.
The reports come as Agriculture Secretary William Dar urged the National Food Authority (NFA) to step up efforts to procure palay from local farmers to increase the presence of cheap rice in the market and help the country achieve food security.
Earlier, the NFA said it remained committed to procure palay from local farmers, even during the lean months — from July to September — as part of its role under the new rice regime.
According to NFA Administrator Judy Carol Dansal, her agency bought 26,036 bags of palay in the first week of August.