GUIMARAS – Agricultural output in this island province showed contrasting trends in 2025, with corn production surging by 38.35 percent while palay experienced a slight 1.00 percent decline.
Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) revealed that corn production was bolstered by both yellow and white varieties. Yellow corn output reached 602.1 metric tons (MT) — a 49.78 percent increase from 2024 — while white corn totaled 413.35 MT, up by 25.03 percent.
“The harvested area for white corn expanded to 286 hectares, a 19.17 percent increase, while yellow had 250 hectares, marking a 31.58 percent rise from 2024,” said Provincial Statistics Officer Nelida B. Losare.
These expansions translated to an overall yield improvement of 10.99 percent, rising to 1.93 MT per hectare in 2025 from 1.74 MT the previous year.
Within Western Visayas, Guimaras contributed 0.51 percent of the total corn output. Iloilo remains the regional leader at 54.08 percent, followed by Capiz (40.38 percent) and Antique (4.50 percent).
In contrast, palay production settled at 52,518.90 MT in 2025, down slightly from 53,049.50 MT in 2024. This occurred despite a 2.64 percent increase in the total harvested area, which covered 19,313 hectares.
The PSA noted a divergence based on farm type: irrigated palay grew by 4.17 percent (15,870 MT) while rainfed palay fell by 3.08 percent (36,648.90 MT), despite an increase in harvested area.
Guimaras accounted for 3.53 percent of the region’s total palay production. Iloilo continues to lead the region at 56.39 percent, followed by Capiz (21.65 percent) and Antique (13.48 percent).
Losare highlighted that while corn yields improved, palay yield per hectare saw a 3.54 percent shortfall, dropping to 2.72 MT per hectare from 2.82 MT in 2024.
“The combined data provides a comprehensive overview of the province’s agricultural performance and situates Guimaras within the broader regional context, informing planning, policy decisions, and support programs for local farmers and stakeholders,” Losare said./PN
