Corn production in WV falls 14.3% in Q4 2025

Corn production in Western Visayas dropped by 14.3 percent in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2025, as both yellow and white corn yields declined and harvested areas shrank across most provinces, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

The region produced 17,123 metric tons (MT) of corn during the quarter, down from 19,983 MT in the same period in 2024.

This downturn coincided with a 4.1 percent decrease in total corn area harvested — from 4,618 hectares in Q4 2024 to 4,429 hectares in Q4 2025.

Yellow corn, typically used for animal feed, accounted for the bulk of the decline. Output fell by 15.2 percent to 15,590 MT, from 18,374 MT the previous year.

White corn, used mainly for human consumption, also saw a 4.7 percent reduction, totaling 1,533 MT from 1,608 MT year-on-year.

The decrease in production aligned with a similar reduction in harvested area.

For yellow corn, land area dropped by 3.9 percent to 3,797 hectares, while white corn areas shrank by 5.2 percent to 632 hectares.

Iloilo remained the region’s top corn producer, contributing 52.2 percent of total output, or approximately 8,941 MT.

Capiz followed with 40.5 percent, Antique with 4.9 percent, Guimaras with 1.5 percent, and Aklan with 0.9 percent.

In terms of harvested area, Iloilo accounted for 55.5 percent of the regional total with 2,457 hectares, though this was a 10.6 percent drop from the 2,748 hectares recorded in Q4 2024.

Capiz followed with a 34 percent share, then Antique with 6.1 percent, Guimaras with 3 percent, and Aklan with 1.4 percent.

Among all provinces, Antique was the only one to register an increase in harvested area — soaring by 176.5 percent to 271 hectares, from just 98 hectares the previous year.

This expansion contrasted sharply with Aklan’s 22 percent year-on-year decline, the steepest among the five provinces.

The PSA noted that these figures are based on preliminary estimates from the Corn Production Survey conducted by the agency’s Crops Statistics Division.

The data exclude Negros Occidental following the implementation of Republic Act No. 12000, or the “Negros Island Act,” which restructured regional boundaries for statistical reporting.

Corn production statistics are critical for guiding agricultural policies and investment decisions, especially in regions like Western Visayas, where corn is a vital crop for both food security and livestock feed supply chains.