El Niño threatens 10% drop in Q3 rice, corn output

MANILA, Philippines — The strong El Niño and unfavorable weather conditions threaten to reduce the country’s palay (unmilled rice) and corn output by more than 10 percent in the third quarter of 2026. The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) estimates that palay production will reach 3.10 million metric tons (MT) from July to September, marking a 17.2