Rice output in 2025 on track for all-time record

The country’s rice production is expected to reach an all-time high this year, as government interventions and improved weather conditions drove strong output in the first half, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).

- By DEXTER BARRO II

Based on data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), production of palay (unmilled rice) from January to June reached 9.08 million metric tons (MT), up six percent from 8.53 MT in the same period last year.

The latest rice production estimate surpassed the first-half record high of 9.026 million MT recorded in 2023.

In the same year, the Philippines saw the highest annual output of its national staple at 20.06 million MT, which was equivalent to 13.2 million MT of milled rice.

With first-half harvest usually making up over 40 percent of the annual production, the latest data indicates that the country may exceed the record output.