Philippines: Rice Self-sufficiency Pushed Back to 2013

Philippine Rice Research Institute (Philrice) executive director Ronilo A. Beronio has revealed that the Philippines is expected to attain rice self sufficiency only by 2013, three years later than the original target of 2010.

Beronio further qualified that the rice self sufficiency target by 2013 would be achieve only if the country’s rice production growth rate is at least 5.10 % annually starting next year. Based on Philrice’s optimistic rice market outlook, the production target for 2009 should be 17.7 million MT as against a palay requirement of 20 million MT for an 88.5 % self-sufficiency level.