Guimaras corn yield down by more than half in Q4 2019

The province of Guimaras produced 240 metric tons of corn in the last quarter of 2019, lower by more than half (51.90%) from the 499-metric ton output in the same period of 2018.

The production cut is due to the 74.11 percent decrease in yellow corn yield.

Based on data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority, corn produced in the province during the 4th quarter of 2019 were mostly yellow corn, comprising 51.25 percent of the total corn output or equivalent to 123 metric tons.

White corn, which accounted for 48.75 percent of the total output, posted a 387.50 percent increment or equivalent to 117 metric tons, higher than the 24-metric ton output in the 4th quarter of 2018. However, the increase did not offset the huge decline in yellow corn production.

The improved production in white corn was driven by the 242.11 percent increment in area harvested, from 19 hectares in the last quarter of 2018 to 65 hectares in same quarter of 2019.

Expansion of farms planted to this corn type was noted due to increasing demand for local consumption and availability of seeds.

Meanwhile, yellow corn yield decreased by 74.11 percent, from 475 MT in Q4 2018 to 123 metric tons in the same quarter of 2019. This is due to lesser area harvested estimated at 105 hectares, which is 41.34 percent smaller than the 179 hectares area harvested in 2018 of the same quarter.

Limited plantings were observed because of limited seeds available.

In the 4th quarter of 2019, Western Visayas produced 63,086 metric tons of corn with Negros Occidental as the top producer of the region contributing 70.02 percent to the regional total output, followed by Iloilo province with a large gap sharing 17.61 percent, Capiz 9.58 percent, Aklan and Antique contributed 1.51 and 0.90 percent, respectively, while Guimaras chipped in the smallest share of 0.38 percent.

The Palay and Corn Production Survey (PCPS) generates quarterly estimates of palay and corn production, area, yield and other production-related statistics to serve as inputs for policy making.