Banana leads Western Visayas fruit production in Q1 2026

Banana remained Western Visayas’ leading fruit crop in the first quarter of 2026, with preliminary production reaching 52,582 metric tons, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

The volume was 2.2% higher than the 51,448 metric tons produced in the same quarter of 2025.

Four of the six top fruit crops recorded year-on-year production gains, while two posted declines.

Mango registered the fastest growth at 20.1%, with output climbing to 8,516 metric tons from 7,092 metric tons.

Pineapple production rose 8.4% to 1,749 metric tons from 1,613 metric tons.

Calamansi output increased 1.4% to 1,353 metric tons from 1,335 metric tons.

Watermelon suffered the steepest production decline, falling 7.5% to 34,634 metric tons from 37,428 metric tons.

Melon output slipped 0.2% to 1,449 metric tons from 1,452 metric tons.

Iloilo was the largest producer of four of the six leading fruit crops in the region, while Guimaras led mango and calamansi production.

Iloilo accounted for 67.0% of the region’s 52,582 metric tons of banana production, followed by Aklan at 17.2%, Antique at 8.9%, Guimaras at 4.6% and Capiz at 2.3%.

Iloilo contributed 99.3% of the 1,749-metric-ton pineapple harvest, while Capiz supplied 0.5% and Antique 0.2%.

Iloilo produced 97.3% of the region’s 34,634 metric tons of watermelon, with Antique contributing 0.9% and Capiz 0.1%.

Guimaras accounted for the remaining 1.7% of watermelon output, based on the PSA chart’s displayed shares; its percentage label was truncated in the published figure.

Iloilo delivered 99.2% of the 1,449-metric-ton melon crop, followed by Capiz at 0.6%, Guimaras at 0.1% and Antique at 0.1%.

Guimaras accounted for 62.8% of the region’s 8,516 metric tons of mango production, followed by Iloilo at 34.5%, Antique at 2.5%, Capiz at 0.1% and Aklan at 0.1%.

Guimaras also produced 61.6% of the 1,353-metric-ton calamansi crop, while Iloilo contributed 32.3%, Aklan 2.5%, Capiz 2.2% and Antique 1.4%.

Average farmgate prices increased year on year for most of the listed fruit crops and varieties during the quarter.

Lakatan banana posted the largest farmgate-price gain at 44.8%, rising to PHP 37.33 per kilogram from PHP 25.78.

Among other banana varieties, Bungulan increased 9.9% to PHP 19.78 per kilogram from PHP 18.00, Saba rose 20.8% to PHP 21.50 from PHP 17.80, and other varieties climbed 16.6% to PHP 17.49 from PHP 15.00.

Banana varieties that became cheaper were Cavendish, down 4.0% to PHP 19.36 per kilogram from PHP 20.18, and Latundan, down 16.3% to PHP 19.69 from PHP 23.53.

Muskmelon increased 16.1% to PHP 40.63 per kilogram from PHP 35.00.

Honeydew melon recorded the sharpest price decline at 41.7%, dropping to PHP 36.05 per kilogram from PHP 61.78.

Carabao mango rose 41.4% to PHP 97.42 per kilogram from PHP 68.89, while Piko mango increased 39.3% to PHP 53.42 from PHP 38.33.

Indian mango fell 17.8% to PHP 20.93 per kilogram from PHP 25.47, while other mango varieties declined 17.3% to PHP 51.18 from PHP 61.89.

Calamansi edged down 0.2% to PHP 34.41 per kilogram from PHP 34.46.

Hawaiian pineapple rose 1.3% to PHP 33.76 per kilogram from PHP 33.33.

Native pineapple recorded an average farmgate price of PHP 30.00 per kilogram in the first quarter of 2026, but no comparable 2025 price or percentage change was available.

Watermelon increased 33.0% to PHP 33.93 per kilogram from PHP 25.50.

Farmgate price refers to the amount farmers receive for their crops at the farm location, rather than the price paid later in the supply chain.

The PSA defines production as the quantity of a crop produced and harvested during the reference period, with the estimates drawn from the Crops Production Survey (CrPS).

For the survey, fruit crops include produce such as banana, watermelon, mango and pineapple, a category generally characterized by a sweet taste and high organic acid and pectin content under a Food and Agriculture Organization statistical definition dated January 2011.