Asia's rice output drops

Asia's rice output drops

BANGKOK (DPA): Asia's rice production in 1998 was 510 million tons, 16 million tons less than in 1997, the Food and Drug Organization (FAO) announced Monday.

The estimated figure was revised downwards due to lower than expected output in India, Bangladesh and the Philippines.

Floods in India and Bangladesh during the latter part of 1998 damaged paddy fields, dropping production estimates by one million and four million tons respectively, said the FAO's Food Outlook report for February 1999.

The Philippines' rice output for 1998 was estimated at 10.2 million tons, down by some 500,000 tons, due to drought conditions in the early part of the year created by the El Nio weather phenomenon.

"In Indonesia, harvesting of the 1998 second season crop is virtually complete and output is estimated at 46.4 million tons, down from 49.4 million tons produced in 1997," said the FAO report.