A farmer carries rice stalks to a threshing machine at a rice field in San Simon town, Pampanga province, north of Manila April 6, 2008. Photo by Reuters
The Philippine Department of Agriculture said the Marcos administration had ramped up agricultural support and expanded paddy production, driving the country’s rice output to a record high in the first half of 2025.
According to newly released data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the country harvested more than 9.07 million tonnes of paddy in the first six months of this year, surpassing the previous all-time high of over 9.02 million tonnes during the same period in 2023 and 8.53 million tonnes 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 mechanization, irrigation improvements, and the distribution of high-quality seed varieties.
The government also provided fertilizer 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 said on Thursday it believes the Philippines is on track to hit its record annual paddy production target of 20.46 million tonnes.
