By Francis Allan L. Angelo
Palay production in Western Visayas faced a dramatic decline across the first three quarters of 2024, with steep drops recorded in production and harvested areas compared to the same period in 2023.
Production in the region dropped by 2.8 percent in the first quarter, 36 percent in the second quarter, and a staggering 53 percent in the third quarter.
The total production for the first three quarters was significantly lower compared to the previous year.
In the first quarter of 2024, the total palay production in the region was 648,136 metric tons, down from 667,021 metric tons in 2023.
Despite the slight increase in the harvested area by 1.9 percent, production still fell due to a reduction in yield.
Iloilo emerged as the leading producer, contributing 54.4 percent of the regional output during this period.
The second quarter marked a steeper decline with production plummeting to 82,819 metric tons, a 36 percent drop from 129,476 metric tons in the same quarter of 2023. Harvested areas contracted by 31.8 percent.
Negros Occidental led the quarter’s production, contributing 36.3 percent of the output. Farmers cited reduced water availability and increased operational costs as major challenges.
By the third quarter, the region’s production further declined by over half to 341,844 metric tons from 726,642 metric tons in 2023. The harvested area dropped by 54 percent.
Iloilo accounted for the largest share of the 54.0 percentage-point decline in the regional area harvested for palay, contributing 31.8 percentage points. Its harvested area dropped to 29,307 hectares in the third quarter of 2024 from 94,977 hectares in the same period last year.
Negros Occidental followed with a decrease of 9.2 percentage points, Capiz with 6.7 percentage points, while other provinces reported reductions of less than 4.0 percentage points.
ILOILO’S DECLINE
Iloilo, a key contributor to palay production in Western Visayas, experienced a notable decline in production throughout the first three quarters of 2024 compared to the previous year.
Despite remaining the region’s largest producer, Iloilo’s output steadily decreased, reflecting the challenges faced by the agricultural sector.
In the first quarter of 2024, Iloilo contributed 54.4 percent of the regional palay production, totaling approximately 352,573 metric tons. This marked a modest decline of 2.9 percent compared to its 2023 production of 363,064 metric tons.
Although the province maintained its dominant position in the region, the slight reduction hinted at the beginning of a downward trend.
The second quarter brought a sharper decline, with Iloilo producing an estimated 10,022 metric tons, down from 15,656 metric tons in the same period in 2023. This represents a significant decrease of 36.0 percent, mirroring the overall drop in regional production.
The contraction was accompanied by a reduction in harvested areas, which fell by 18.5 percent compared to the previous year.
The most dramatic decline occurred in the third quarter of 2024 where Iloilo’s production plummeted to 98,626 metric tons, a steep 52.9 percent decrease from the 209,277 metric tons recorded in 2023.
The reduction was largely driven by a substantial 69.1 percent drop in harvested areas, the largest contraction among the provinces in the region.
Overall, Iloilo’s palay production in 2024 highlights a worrying trend of consistent declines. The first quarter saw a modest dip, but the second and third quarters experienced drastic reductions, reflecting the compounded effects of reduced harvested areas, unfavorable weather, and rising input costs.
Farmers in Iloilo expressed concerns over the situation.
“We are heavily affected by higher fertilizer prices and unpredictable rains,” said Doannie Santos, a local farmer. The reduction in irrigated and rainfed palay harvests highlighted the vulnerability of agricultural ecosystems to external pressures.
In contrast, Negros Occidental consistently led in production during the second and third quarters, showing its resilience compared to other provinces.
But it was not spared from the declines as production in 2024 experienced significant declines across all three quarters.
In the first quarter, Negros Occidental contributed approximately 69,348 metric tons, representing 10.7 percent of the region’s total output of 648,136 metric tons.
By the second quarter, production dropped to an estimated 30,073 metric tons, a decrease of 36.0 percent compared to the same period in 2023.
The third quarter saw a further decline, with production falling to around 126,482 metric tons, a reduction of 52.8 percent from the previous year.
Analysts warn that if these issues persist, Western Visayas’ ability to meet its rice demands could be severely hampered, potentially escalating the region’s dependence on imported rice.
