Western Visayas posted a 12-percent increase in its volume of palay production in the first semester of this year compared to the same period last year.

“Comparing the 2019 first semester and the 2020 first semester, we already have a 12-percent gain in volume production. We are expecting that (the) harvest this wet season will add up to this volume of production this first semester,” said Engr. Remelyn R. Recoter, regional director of the Department of Agriculture (DA) in a press conference on Monday.

The conference was held simultaneously with the launching of the World Food Day observance.

Recoter said the production for the first six months of the year was 753,832 metric tons as against the 672,153 metric tons in 2019.

The region targets to increase the production for the whole year by 12 percent of last year’s, which was pegged at 2.07 million metric tons (MMT).

“We are really positive that our production for the year will be double digit percentage increase because the first semester alone is already 12 percent increase from 2019 same period of volume of performance,” Recoter said.

The bulk of this year’s production is expected towards the end of October until November since the onset of wet season was delayed in the region. The bulk of the planting was in July due to the delay in the onset of rain, Recoter said.

“We still have more than 50 percent for harvest within the region,” she added.

Meanwhile, Recoter advised farmers to always be on the lookout for weather forecasts as the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration has announced the possible occurrence of a La Niña episode when rain is above normal, starting this December.

She said that the central office has already requested for data on current standing crops to prepare for ways to avert possible damages as a result of the weather pattern during the fourth quarter of this year until the first semester of 2021. (PNA)