ILOILO City – Western Visayas’ palay output in the last quarter of 2023 hit 740,019.5 metric tons (MT), according to the Philippine Statistic Authority (PSA) Regional Statistical Services Office 6.
It was 7.4 percent higher or 50,823.2 MT more than the 689,196.3 MT harvested in the same quarter in 2022.
Likewise, the total area harvested in the fourth quarter of last year was estimated at 215,567.0 hectares – 8.5 percent higher than the 198,652.5 hectares in the same period in 2022.
Both rainfed and irrigated palay productions in the region also increased.
In particular, the total irrigated palay production in the fourth quarter of 2023 was estimated at 358,553 MT, posting an increase of 14.8 percent in comparison with the fourth quarter of previous year that only produced 312,366 MT.Also, the total rainfed palay production rose to 381,456 MT, or 1.2 percent higher (4,635.9 MT) compared to the 376,831 MT harvested in Q4 2022.
Overall, Iloilo Province remained the top palay producer in the region in the fourth quarter of last year.
PSA-6 data showed that the province shared 49.8 percent or almost half of the total palay production of the region in the period.
Negros Occidental came in second with 23.3 percent, and followed by Antique (11.6 percent), Capiz (7.1 percent), Aklan (5.0 percent), and Guimaras (3.2 percent).
Here is the breakdown of the total palay area harvested per province in the fourth quarter of 2023:
* Aklan – 11,753 hectares
* Antique – 24,233 hectares
* Capiz – 17,036 hectares
* Guimaras – 8,414 hectares
* Iloilo – 107,887 hectares
* Negros Occidental – 46,244 hectares/PN
