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).

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.

The DA had earlier projected total palay output to reach 20.46 million MT—a target that may soon be overtaken.

This is a positive turnaround from the decline in harvest last year, which fell to around 19.09 million MT due to El Niño-induced drought and La Niña-related flooding.

“Palay and corn production for the January-to-June semester gives us hope for a better year for agriculture despite the challenges we now face,” said Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel.

“Mother Nature permitting, and with the help of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and lawmakers, we are cautiously optimistic that we could post a record harvest this year,” he added.

Excluding the ₱1.27-billion loss in the rice sector due to the combined effects of tropical storms “Crising,” “Dante,” and “Emong,” along with the southwest monsoon or “habagat,” the first half of the year primarily brought favorable weather conditions for farmers.

The government, meanwhile, has rolled out initiatives to boost rice output such as the double dry cropping scheme of state-run National Irrigation Administration (NIA).

Based on PSA data, the total area planted to palay grew to 2.12 million hectares (ha) in the first half from 2.06 million ha last year amid better irrigation.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimated that the country’s milled rice production will reach 12.25 million MT in the current marketing year beginning July and ending in June 2026.

The foreign agency projects consumption of the staple to reach 17.3 million MT because of government programs aimed at bringing down rice prices.