GUIMARAS – This island province’s corn production improved by 32.3 percent during the first quarter of 2021.
It harvested 131 metric tons (MT) of corn in the first three months of this year, way higher than the 99 MT of corn in the same period last year.
The increase was driven by the higher yield on both the white and the yellow corn, data from the quarterly Corn Production Survey (CPS) of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed.
Corn is one of the most important staple crops in the Philippines. It ranks second to rice in the utilization of agricultural resources. It is used not only for human consumption but also for animal feeds and industrial uses, hence it is a vital crop in the development of the livestock and manufacturing industries.
Guimaras corn was dominated by white variety with 67 metric tons produced, leading to a 19.6 percent increment over last year’s 56 metric tons.
“The yellow variety yielded a 48.8 percent increment, from 43 metric tons last year’s first quarter to 64 metric tons this year’s first quarter,” said Provincial Statistics Officer Nelida Losare.
“The increment in corn production is attributed to the increased yield per hectare on both corn type and increased area harvested for yellow corn,” Losare added.
Data also revealed that for the first quarter of 2021, the total area harvested for corn in Guimaras was estimated at 63 hectares, resulting in a 3.08 percent dropped from the recorded 65 hectares last year.
The area harvested for yellow corn was 15 percent higher over the Q1 2020 of 20 hectares to 23 hectares in the first quarter of the current year.
“White corn had a decline in its harvest area. From 45 hectares in the first three months of last year to 40 hectares this year or 11.11 percent dropped, but production still improved due to high yield variety used,” Losare said.
Guimaras had contributed 131 metric tons translating to a 0.14 percent share of total corn production, the least among the six provinces in Western Visayas./PN
