Bumper harvest of palay seen in Q1

Output to reach record 4.8 MMT

- JASPER EMMANUEL ARCALAS

Despite threats of El Niño, the country’s palay output in the first quarter likely inched up year-on-year to over 4.8 million metric tons on the back of higher yield.

In its latest report, the Philippine Statistics Authority projected that palay production from January to March could reach 4.8 million MT, slightly higher than the 4.78 million MT recorded in the same period in 2023.

Historical PSA data showed that the forecast could be the highest volume of palay produced in the first quarter on record.