By Francis Allan L. Angelo
Agricultural production in Western Visayas showed contrasting trends in 2024, with rice production rebounding in the fourth quarter while corn output continued to decline, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported.
Total palay (unhusked rice) production in the region reached 1.89 million metric tons, a 16.4% drop from 2.26 million metric tons in 2023.
The area harvested also shrank by 14.2% to 571,971 hectares. Both rainfed and irrigated rice saw declines, with rainfed production falling to 958,484 metric tons and irrigated output decreasing to 932,884 metric tons.
Despite the annual decline, the last quarter of 2024 provided a boost to rice farmers.
Palay production surged 10.6% to 818,569 metric tons, while the total area harvested expanded by 12.3% to 242,146 hectares.
Rainfed palay led the recovery with a 21.9% increase in output and a 23.3% rise in harvested area.
However, irrigated palay production dipped slightly by 1.4%, with a 1.3% decrease in area harvested.
Iloilo remained the top rice-producing province, contributing 44% of the region’s total output for the year and 45.2% in the fourth quarter.
Negros Occidental followed with 22.6% of annual production, while Capiz accounted for 16.4% overall.
Capiz also recorded the highest increase in harvested area in the fourth quarter.
Corn Production Declines Sharply
Unlike rice, corn production in Western Visayas faced a significant downturn.
Total corn output dropped by 24% to 250,316 metric tons in 2024, with the area harvested shrinking by 28.8% to 74,486 hectares.
White corn production fell by 37.2%, while yellow corn output declined by 19.9%.
Harvested areas for both types of corn contracted sharply, with white corn acreage dropping 38.2% and yellow corn by 23.2%.
The downward trend persisted in the fourth quarter, with corn production falling 17.1% to 45,978 metric tons.
The total area harvested for corn decreased by 26.1% to 14,021 hectares. White corn output declined by 12.3%, while yellow corn production fell by 19.3%.
Iloilo and Capiz remained the region’s primary corn producers, accounting for nearly 70% of the total output. Iloilo led with 39%, followed by Capiz with 29.8%.
Negros Occidental saw the steepest decline in harvested corn area and was also the top contributor to regional corn production in the fourth quarter.
However, it also recorded the highest reduction in corn acreage.
