Rice output on the rise but consumption dips

A rice field in Bicol. RICK ALBERTO/INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–While domestic production of rice has been going up, Filipinos appear to be consuming less of the staple grain, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

The PSA said in its latest Food Consumption and Nutrition report that per capita production of rice rose over to 123.9 kilos in 2013 from 115.2 kilos in 2006.

During the same seven-year period, the average consumption of rice went down to 319.1 grams per person a day (or 116.5 kilos a year) in 2013, from 325.2 grams daily (or 120 kilos a year) in 2006.

Rice production in 2013 posted an index of 107.48 percent based on 2006 levels, the PSA said. This means that rice per capita production in 2013 was 7.5 percentage points higher than the base year record, the agency explained.

The index on per capita production measures the capacity of the Philippine agriculture sector to produce food along with the growth of the population.

Among all agricultural commodities that are produced in the country—including other crops as well as livestock, fisheries and aquatic resources—rice accounted for 1.14 kilos of calories daily per Filipino in 2013.

Rice also accounted for 23.9 grams of protein and 5.7 grams of fats, making it the most important food item for Filipinos.

In comparison, the next-best source of calories was corn, with 188.4 grams. In terms of protein and fats, the next best sources were chicken meat with 9.7 grams and chicken egg with 4.6 grams.

The Department of Agriculture is aiming for self-sufficiency in the production of the staple grain and hopes to increase output to about 59.7 million tons in the three years to 2016. This puts annual harvests at close to 20 million tons, topping the all-time high of 18.44 million tons set in 2013.

This may translate to a rice self-sufficiency rate of 96 percent.

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