PHILIPPINES (9 February)
The main crops in the ground are currently dry season rice and maize, planted in October-December for harvest from April-May. Crop conditions are generally normal, except in northern and south-western Luzon, central and western Visayas, northern, western and southern Mindanao where crops experienced moisture deficiency.
Despite the disastrous effect of four typhoons, Philippines achieved another paddy bumper harvest in 2004 at 14.4 million tonnes, 1.7 percent higher than the year before and some 11 percent above the average of the previous five years, reflecting the increase in area cultivated to hybrid rice (230 000 ha in 2004 compared to 7 000 hectares in 2001). 2004 maize output is also expected to be higher than in 2003 at a record of 5.5 million tonnes as a result of the attractive price and the hybrid technology adoption. The Government expects rice output to reach 15.1 million tonnes and maize output 5.93 million tonnes in 2005.