Manila, Sept. 16 -- Local palay (unhusked rice) production in the Philippines is projected to rise in the third quarter of 2025, according to the latest outlook from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) released on Tuesday.

"The estimated palay production based on standing crop for July to September 2025 may increase to 3.94 million metric tons (MT) or by 18.4 percent," the PSA report read.

It added that the harvest area may expand by 19.1 percent to 943,380 hectares, compared to 792,220 hectares in the third quarter of 2024.

As of Aug. 1, around 550,540 MT of palay had already been harvested from 140,030 hectares, representing 14.8 percent of the total projected harvest area for the quarter.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu L...