The Department of Agriculture in Western Visayas (DA-6) is optimistic of higher palay production this year, with an expected 39 percent increase in harvest for the wet cropping season between May and September.

As of Tuesday, the DA-6 has been eyeing at least 1.2 million metric tons (MT) of palay production for the said period compared to the harvest of only 865,923 MT during the same period last year.

“This is due to the interventions and the expansion of areas planted that reached 299,621 hectares in both rainfed and irrigated ecosystems,” Elmer Cabusas, DA-6 rice program coordinator, said in a statement.

Data showed that for the wet cropping season, Iloilo has a projected production volume of 497,185 MT; Negros Occidental, 292,661 MT; Capiz, 165,297 MT; Antique, 161,259 MT; Aklan, 62,828 MT; and Guimaras, 21,980 MT.

Cabusas said for 2021, Region 6 hopes to produce 2.3 million MT of palay, adding that 1.2 million MT have already been produced, based on consolidated reports from local government units.

“The production is from the more than 360,000 hectares of harvested areas with an average yield of 3.7 metric tons per hectare from January to September,” he added.

Cabusas said under a favorable climate and with proper utilization of inputs and adoption of recommended rice production technologies, Western Visayas can secure a four-metric ton per hectare average yield for 2021.

In line with this, the DA-Philippine Rice Research Institute is almost done with the delivery and distribution of 447,999 bags of certified seeds to Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) areas in Western Visayas purposed for the wet cropping season. (PNA)