DA chief says sorry for missed target

MANILA, Philippines - Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala apologized yesterday for failing to deliver on his promise to bring the country to full rice sufficiency last year, but pointed out rice harvest during the period was the biggest in the nation’s history.

“I am sorry for not hitting the target in 2013,” he told reporters during the weekly Kapihan sa Diamond Hotel news forum. He said the 96 percent rice sufficiency achieved last year was equivalent to 18.44 million metric tons (MT).

“It was the biggest rice production record in the history of the country,” he said.

Alcala admitted the country’s rice industry lags behind that of other Southeast Asian countries largely due to its being highly labor intensive. He said rice production and harvest in neighboring countries are highly mechanized, hence cheaper to produce.

Vietnam produces the cheapest rice in the region, followed by Thailand and China, he said.

He also said farmers in other counties don’t have to pay for water for irrigation, unlike in the Philippines.

Despite production problems, the local industry remains competitive due to quantitative restrictions on imports under the World Trade Organization.

He also reported that typhoon-damaged rice fields in Eastern and Central Visayas have been rehabilitated.

“The government distributed season seeds after Typhoon Yolanda and at least 92 percent of typhoon-affected rice fields are now ready for harvest,” he said.