ILOILO City – Western Visayas recorded a significant decline in corn production in 2024, with total output estimated at 250,316 metric tons, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority in Western Visayas (PSA-6).
The production decline represents a 24.0 percent decrease, equivalent to 78,883 metric tons less than the 2023 production.
The decline in production was accompanied by a sharp reduction in the total area harvested for corn, which fell by 28.8 percent from 104,672 hectares in 2023 to 74,486 hectares in 2024.
White corn, a staple for many in the region, experienced a steep decline in production. Total white corn output was 48,140 metric tons, reflecting a 37.2 percent decrease compared to the previous year.
Similarly, yellow corn, a primary feed ingredient, saw a decline, with production falling to 202,176 metric tons, a 19.9 percent drop from 2023 levels.
The reduction in corn production is directly linked to the significant decrease in harvested areas.
The total area harvested for white corn in 2024 was 24,478 hectares, a 38.2 percent decrease from 2023.
The area harvested for yellow corn was 50,008 hectares, a 23.2 percent decline from the previous year.
Despite the overall decline, Iloilo and Capiz remained the top contributors to regional corn production, accounting for more than two-thirds of the total output.
Iloilo led with a 39 percent share of production followed by Capiz with 29.8 percent.
Negros Occidental contributed 28 percent, while Antique accounted for 2.5 percent.
Aklan and Guimaras contributed less than 0.5 percent each.
Negros Occidental recorded the largest reduction in the area harvested for corn in 2024, contributing 46.1 percent of the region’s harvested area but accounting for a negative 23.8 percentage points in the overall regional decline.
Other provinces also reported reductions. Iloilo contributed a 3.9 percentage point drop while Aklan and Antique each posted a 0.7 percentage point decrease.
On the other hand, Guimaras had a minimal reduction of 0.04 percentage points.
Amid the widespread declines, Capiz stood out as the only province with positive growth in its harvested area for corn.
The province accounted for 15,881 hectares, reflecting a growth rate of 0.4 percentage points compared to 2023, providing a slight boost to regional production./PN