Philippines sets 2011 rice output goal at 17.4-M tons

The government has set a rice production goal of 17.4 million tons next year, nearly 9% higher than a revised target of 16 million tons in 2010, a senior official said on Monday. The Philippines, the world's biggest rice buyer, expects rice production to reach 19.2 million tons in 2012 before becoming self sufficient in its staple in 2013, Dennis Araullo, a grains program director at the Agriculture department, told reporters. Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, meanwhile, said rice purchases for 2011 will not be more than half of the record imports of 2.45 million tons last year. For the first 9 months, domestic production of unmilled rice fell 15% from a year ago.