May 19, 2009

Philippine corn output is forecast to increase 2.27 percent to 2.31 million tonnes in July-September, which should push nine-month production to 5.52 million tonnes, down 0.53 percent from a year ago, according to the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics.

A more than 3-percent fall in corn production in the first quarter caused Philippine total farm output to grow a slower 2.02 percent during the period compared with 3.2 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008.

Slower harvesting, partly due to excessive rains, has pushed the country's feed industry to import nearly 311,000 tonnes of yellow corn so far this year, compared with nil in 2008.