A TOP official of the Department of Agriculture (DA) in Western Visayas warned of reduced rice production this year with the farming sector not able to achieve its production target of 3.2 metric tons per hectare. DA Regional Executive Director Larry Nacionales said rice production suffered much this year and much delayed planting season of about one and a half months caused a major disturbance in the farming cycle mainly due to severe dry spell.

 Western Visayas, the country’s second top rice producing region, was only able to produce 2.3 metric tons per hectare in last cropping season due to natural and man-made calamities.

However, Nacionales said he is positive that the region still remains a rice sufficient area, even if it suffers production slump.

Out of 309,000 hectares earmarked in the region for rice production and harvest by August this year, only 221,000 hectares were planted, he said.

Nacionales said the agriculture department will invest massive irrigation program on top of its subsidized rice seeds and expanded crop insurance program due to lessons learned from the recent long dry spell.