Palay, Corn Still Reign — But Why?

Western Visayas is in the middle of an economic paradox.

The region posted strong overall growth, but its agriculture, forestry, and fisheries (AFF) sector — long its foundational pillar — continues to deteriorate. The latest figures show a staggering -7.6% contraction in 2024, the worst in years. Even without Negros Occidental and Bacolod City in the statistical picture, the numbers remain dismal.

The usual suspects have been named: underinvestment, climate disruption, and an aging farmer population. But one fundamental question remains largely unexamined — why are we still growing what we can’t even eat or sell competitively?

Palay and corn continue to dominate agricultural land use in the region. Yet, they are also among the most vulnerable crops in the face of erratic weather, pests, and market saturation. Farmers remain locked into planting them, not because they are profitable, but because these are what they’ve always planted — and what the government has always subsidized.

This is the root of the crisis.

National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA-6) regional director Arecio Casing Jr. was right to point out that diversification is overdue. Crops like cacao, mango, squash, and other high-value commodities not only hold better market prospects but are often more resilient to climate shocks. Yet, for many farmers, transitioning is easier said than done.

The infrastructure and incentives for crop diversification remain weak. Access to capital for shifting production is limited. Technical assistance is inconsistent. And local governments, in many cases, still prioritize short-term relief over long-term transformation.

Meanwhile, the services sector continues to thrive, ironically feeding off the very rural economy that is now starving.

It is high time for the region to rethink its agricultural logic. We are not just losing harvests — we are losing time.

Every planting season wasted on uncompetitive and unsustainable crops is a missed opportunity to recalibrate our food systems. The problem is not just the crops — it is the lack of a bold, region-wide strategy that aligns what farmers grow with what the market and environment actually need.

The Jalaur River Multipurpose Project II may bring irrigation to thousands of hectares, but what will we irrigate? More rice fields that yield less income? Or diversified farms producing goods with higher value and stronger market demand?

It is not enough to hope that farmers will figure this out on their own. Government agencies, state universities, and LGUs must do the heavy lifting: provide education, technical support, marketing assistance, and policy reforms that remove the inertia of tradition.

This also calls for a shift in mindset: agriculture is not merely a legacy occupation — it is a business. And businesses don’t survive by insisting on products no longer viable in the market.

If we want Western Visayas’ agriculture to rise again, we need to stop romanticizing rice and corn as symbols of self-sufficiency and instead ask the harder question: Are we growing what we should?

Because right now, the answer seems to be no.