Unmilled rice output in the Philippines, one of the world’s biggest buyers of the grain, is forecast to increase 5.7 percent in the first quarter because of improved yields and increased harvest area. The Philippine Statistics Authority said production in January to March will probably hit 4.67 million tons, based on standing crop, compared with 4.42 million tons harvested in the same period last year. A record-high rice harvest last year of 19.28 million tons helped boost growth of the Southeast Asian nation’s agriculture sector, thanks largely to favorable weather. The country’s state grains procurement agency plans to import 250,000 tons of rice as soon as possible to boost thinning stockpiles, and the prospective deal has already raised export prices in Vietnam, a major supplier.