Philippines optimistic about record-high rice output

The Philippine Department of Agriculture said on Thursday that the Marcos administration had ramped up agricultural support and expanded the harvest area of paddy to drive the country’s rice production to a record high in the first half of this year.

According to newly released data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the country harvested more than 9.07 million tons of paddy from January to June, surpassing the previous all-time high of over 9.02 million tons in the same period of 2023 and 8.53 million tons last year.

Agriculture officials noted that the local government’s efforts to ensure food security are beginning to pay off. This record high achievement is partly attributed to mechaniszation, irrigation improvements, and the distribution of high-quality seed varieties.

The government also provided fertiliser subsidies to 5.66 million farmers, helping boost local production. Record-high yields were further supported by an expanded harvest area and favorable weather conditions in the first half. Data show that the harvested area rose sharply to more than 2.12 million hectares, up from 2.065 million hectares in the same period of 2024.

With this output in the first half of 2025, the department believes the Philippines is on track to hit its record annual paddy production target of 20.46 million tons.