FAO/GIEWS - Foodcrops & Shortages 11/00 - PHILIPPINES (6 November)

Typhoons at the end of October and early November, brought high winds and heavy rains which resulted in localised flooding, possibly damaging mature rice. A number of people were killed, hundreds displaced and there was also extensive property damage.

Harvesting of main season rice is well advanced. Although in August, reports predicted that dry spells and drought in the last quarter of 2000, may adversely affect development and output of main season rice and maize, current indications from the Ministry of Agriculture are that this (calendar) year's production of paddy is likely to be close to a record 12.58 million tonnes, up 6.7 percent from last year's harvest. Maize production is likely to be around 4.5 million tonnes, some 2 percent lower than 1999. The increased availability of water in traditional maize producing areas led farmers to switch from maize to rice, which accounted for the reduction in maize production,

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