Philippines Hopeful Of Reaching Target Rice Output

The Philippine Department of Agriculture has said that it remains hopeful it will hit its paddy rice output target for 2008 despite a lower production forecast.

Last week, the Philippines Bureau of Agriculture Statistics said paddy rice output this year was likely to reach 16.94 million MT up 4.3% from a year earlier but lower compared with the government's target, as the high cost of petroleum-based fertilizer could lower yields.

The world's largest importer of rice so far this year, the Philippines hopes to achieve self-sufficiency in rice output between 2010 to 2013.