USDA ups global rice output forecast by 300,000 MT as Philippines expected to harvest more
Manila: The USDA has raised its global rice production forecast by 300,000 metric tons for MY 2024-25, citing higher yields in the Philippines. Global output is now projected at 541.5 million MT, with Philippine production estimated at 12.4 million MT—up 3% from last month’s forecast. Government support and subsidized rice sales have boosted local output.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has revised upward its forecast for global rice production by 300,000 metric tons (MT) amid higher rice output in the Philippines.
In its latest report on world grain markets and trade, the USDA credited the high yields from the Philippines for driving up the world’s rice production.
The foreign agency is projecting that global rice production will reach 541.5 million MT in marketing year (MY) 2024 to 2025, up from its forecast last month of 541.2 million MT.
The MY for rice in the Philippines starts in July and ends in June of the following year.
The current projection for global rice output is three-percent higher than last year’s record of 523.6 million MT.
Despite being the world’s top rice importer, the Philippines remains a vital player in the production of the staple.
USDA data showed that the country is the eighth-biggest rice producer globally, producing an average of 12.25 million MT annually.
For MY 2024 to 2025, the USDA estimated that rice production in the Philippines will reach 12.4 million MT, up three percent from its forecast last month of 12 million MT.
The USDA’s projection is higher than the earlier forecast of 12.2 million MT by its Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) office in Manila.
The USDA estimated that the country’s harvested area will reach 4.7 million hectares (ha), with a yield of 4.17 tons per ha.
Citing estimates from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the international agency said that after a sluggish start within the period of July to September, rice production has rebounded positively.
The USDA said the period spanning the fourth quarter of last year and the first quarter of 2025 represented about 38 and 23 percent of total production, respectively.
The USDA-FAS in Manila earlier attributed the government’s continued support for the rice industry and the sale of subsidized milled rice as the key drivers for the increase in production.
“Farmers report that the support from the government has been instrumental in ensuring continuous rice production,” it said.
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Source : Manila Bulletin
