Having already lowered its rice importation target to 100,000-150,000
metric tons (MT) in 2013, the government is now is saying that it might
not have to import rice at all next year, if the upcoming harvest is a
very good one.
"There is no evaluation yet, but if the third cropping harvest [is] successful, we might not as well import anymore," Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said in an interview Wednesday.
According to DA initial estimates, the 2012 target output of P17.8 million MT might not only be met, but possibly even surpassed by a possible 400,000 metric tons (MT).
"Baka po mapaaga ang hinahangad nating self-sufficiency status. Instead of end-2013, we might be self-sufficient in rice by early 2013," said Alcala.
He said that the climate this year has "so far, been favorable to agriculture, in general. Padaplis-daplis lang ang mga bagyo and we were not hit that hard these first few typhoons."
If the Philippines makes its target output of 17.8 million MT of rice for 2012, it will have reached 95-percent sufficiency.
DA budget
The proposed 2013 budget allocates P74.1 billion to the Department for 2013, a P10-billion increase from the P64.1 billion given to the DA for 2012.
Most of the department’s bureaus and attached agencies will receive get larger budgets to fund ongoing developmental programs. The department has increased the budget for research and development to P2.5 billion from P1.45 billion for the creation of technologies that will help the Philippines attain its food security targets.
Achieving sufficiency in rice and corn, the country’s staples, is the priority, said Alcala, and sufficiency in“vegetables and the rest of other agriculture commodities should follow."
"There is no evaluation yet, but if the third cropping harvest [is] successful, we might not as well import anymore," Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said in an interview Wednesday.
According to DA initial estimates, the 2012 target output of P17.8 million MT might not only be met, but possibly even surpassed by a possible 400,000 metric tons (MT).
"Baka po mapaaga ang hinahangad nating self-sufficiency status. Instead of end-2013, we might be self-sufficient in rice by early 2013," said Alcala.
He said that the climate this year has "so far, been favorable to agriculture, in general. Padaplis-daplis lang ang mga bagyo and we were not hit that hard these first few typhoons."
If the Philippines makes its target output of 17.8 million MT of rice for 2012, it will have reached 95-percent sufficiency.
DA budget
The proposed 2013 budget allocates P74.1 billion to the Department for 2013, a P10-billion increase from the P64.1 billion given to the DA for 2012.
Most of the department’s bureaus and attached agencies will receive get larger budgets to fund ongoing developmental programs. The department has increased the budget for research and development to P2.5 billion from P1.45 billion for the creation of technologies that will help the Philippines attain its food security targets.
Achieving sufficiency in rice and corn, the country’s staples, is the priority, said Alcala, and sufficiency in“vegetables and the rest of other agriculture commodities should follow."
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