ILOILO – Cementing its position as the rice capital of Western Visayas, the Province of Iloilo has been recognized by the Department of Agriculture (DA) as the region’s top rice producer for the first semester of Fiscal Year 2025, with an output totalling 358,403.66 metric tons.
DA Region 6, under Regional Executive Director Dennis Arpia, awarded the certificate of recognition during the Regional Rice Program Report Officers Midyear Assessment held on July 2 at Punta Villa Resort in Iloilo City.
According to Ryan Rasgo, chief of the DA-6 Field Operations Division, Iloilo remains the region’s prime producer, contributing 56.2 percent — or approximately 308,727 metric tons — of Western Visayas’ total palay yield for the first quarter.
“We highly rely on Iloilo as the prime province when it comes to production. If favorable weather conditions continue, we can potentially reach one million metric tons,” Rasgo said.
The recognition was formally presented to Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. and Vice Gov. Nathalie Ann Debuque during the July 7 flag-raising ceremony at the Provincial Capitol.
Based on data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Region 6, Western Visayas’ overall palay output in the first quarter reached 549,512 metric tons — a slight dip from 579,109 metric tons during the same period in 2024. The decline is attributed to an 8.5 percent decrease in harvested area, from 185,355 hectares to 169,588 hectares.
Following Iloilo in rice production are Capiz (22.1 percent), Antique (14.4 percent), Aklan (5.4 percent), and Guimaras (1.8 percent).
As the region enters the wet cropping season (second semester), DA-6 is banking on higher productivity through intensified support programs. Rasgo said the agency has already distributed hybrid seeds covering 55,000 hectares and inbred or certified seeds for 200,000 hectares.
DA-6 studies show that hybrid seeds can yield up to six metric tons per hectare, while certified inbred seeds can produce about five metric tons per hectare.
With no El Niño or La Niña forecast for the second half of the year, DA-6 is optimistic about achieving a strong harvest, provided that farmers adhere to the agency’s recommended practices and adopt modern planting technologies.
Western Visayas, including Negros Occidental, has around 322,000 hectares of farmland, making it the third highest rice-producing region in the country. Without Negros Occidental, the region still boasts an estimated 260,000 to 270,000 hectares of cultivated rice lands./PN
