GUIMARAS – In the first quarter of 2023, 216 metric tons (MT) of corn were produced in the island province of Guimaras – 27.81 percent higher than last year’s 169 MT, the latest agricultural statistics of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed.
“Data also showed that the volume of corn production in Guimaras has been continuously increasing over the last three years,” Provincial Statistics Officer Nelida B. Losare said.
White corn production climbed by 11.90 percent, from 84 metric tons in the first quarter of 2022 to 94 metric tons in 2023.
Meanwhile, with a 43.53 percent increment, yellow corn accounted for the bulk of the province’s overall corn yield.
“It jumped from 85 metric tons in Q1 2022 to 122 metric tons in Q1 2023”, Losare added.
Yellow corn has made up a significant portion of the Guimaras’ overall corn production during the last three years.
“Its production comprised 77.05 percent of the total corn output in 2023. The remaining 22.95 percent came from white corn,” Losare said.
PSA data further showed that corn fields in Guimaras have been consistently improving for three comparable quarters.
In the first quarter of 2023 alone, the area harvested for corn in Guimaras province expanded by 81 hectares.
“The increase in Guimaras corn yield was due to the significant increment in yellow corn area harvested by 15 hectares – from 23 hectares in 2021 to 38 hectares in 2023”, Losare said.
In just two years, the harvested cornfields expanded by 28.57 percent.
Meanwhile, the white cornfields dominated the yellow cornfields, accounting for 53.08 percent of the provincial total, whereas the remaining yellow cornfields accounted for 46.92 percent.
“In the first quarter of 2023, white cornfields occupied 43 hectares of the total 81 hectares of harvested land, while yellow cornfields enclosed the remaining 38 hectares,” Losare said. (PSA/PN)
