THE Department Agriculture (DA) is targeting to increase palay (unhusked rice) production to 3.8 million metric tons (MT) in 2019.

Crispulo Bautista, regional executive director for Central Luzon, said they were hoping for fair weather for the rest of the year and expecting to implement programs to assist the farmers.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) recently disclosed that Central Luzon contributed at least 19 percent to the country’s total rice production in 2017, proving itself as the “Rice Granary of the Philippines.”

For the year 2017, a total of 19.28 million MT of palay were produced compared to 17.63 million MT in 2016, or a 9.63-percent increase.

PSA attributed the increase to sufficient irrigation, favorable weather conditions, and higher yielding seed varieties.