ILOILO – This wet cropping season, rice farmers in Western Visayas are expected to have a 39 percent increase in palay production, compared to the actual harvest of 865,923 metric tons (MT) last year.
According to Elmer Cabusas, rice program coordinator of the Department of Agriculture – Western Visayas (DA-6), the region can produce at least 1.2 million MT of palay this harvest season as a result of the agency’s interventions and expansion of areas planted that reached 299,621 hectares in both rainfed and irrigated ecosystems.
With over 145,000 hectares planted with palay, Iloilo has a projected production volume of 497,185 MT this cropping season.
Meanwhile, Negros Occidental anticipates having 292,661 MT, Capiz (165,297 MT), Antique (161,259 MT), Aklan (62,828 MT), and Guimaras (21,980 MT).
“We are hoping that we can produce 2.3 million MT of palay. Based on consolidated local government unit reports, we have already accumulated 1.2 million MT production from more than 360,000 hectares of harvested areas with an average yield of 3.7 MT per hectare from January to September,” according to Cabusas.
Western Visayas, he claimed, may achieve an average yield of four MT per hectare this 2021 under a favorable environment, effective use of inputs provided, and adoption of recommended rice production technologies.
Meanwhile, Cabusas stated that this year, Iloilo and Guimaras are prioritized for the Rice Hybridization Program. The four other provinces are covered by the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund Program.
Guimaras had received 1,746 bags (15 kilograms per bag) of seeds for the hybrid cluster, while Iloilo got 73,374 bags./PN
