THE Department of Agriculture (DA) on Wednesday welcomed the record-high second-quarter (Q2) palay (unmilled rice) harvest reported by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), saying the strong output gives the country more room to prepare for El Niño weather in the coming months.

PSA data released on Tuesday showed palay production rose 5.7 percent year on year to a record 4.63 million metric tons (MT) from April to June, driven by a 6.5-percent expansion in harvested area to 1.04 million hectares — reflecting favorable weather, continued government support and improved market conditions that encouraged farmers to plant more.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. attributed the improved market conditions partly to last year’s four-month suspension of rice imports during the September-to-December main harvest, which gave farmers a better opportunity to profit from their crops.

Average yield slipped slightly, from 4.50 to 4.47 MT per hectare, but the larger harvested area pushed overall production to a record high.

The DA said the strong Q2 showing also offset a weaker Q1, keeping first-semester output at around 9 million MT and setting a stronger base for the second half of the year.

The department said the record harvest gives the government room to rebuild rice inventories through the National Food Authority (NFA), though officials expect tougher conditions ahead.

The PSA projects Q3 production could fall 13.3 percent to 3.25 million MT due to delayed planting.

To manage the risk, the DA said it will maintain current rice import levels rather than impose a ban. Rice import arrivals had reached 3.5 million MT as of Aug. 2.

“Food security means being proactive,” Tiu Laurel said, adding that farmers need to keep planting despite higher costs and the threat of El Niño.

The NFA has been ordered to procure 500,000 MT of palay at a minimum of P21 per kilogram (kg) for wet palay and P25 to P27/kg for dry palay, backed by a budget raised to as much as P20 billion this year.

The DA is also expanding its Benteng Bigas, Meron Na! program, aiming to double rice distribution through the Kadiwa ng Pangulo’s P20/kg initiative to 40,000 MT a month.

The priority now is ensuring that production support reaches farmers on time, planting continues despite climate risks, and first-half gains carry through the second-semester harvest, the DA said.