First quarter corn production in Eastern Visayas decreases by 9.6%

By PSA-8
May 23, 2018

TACLOBAN CITY – Corn production in Eastern Visayas decreased by 9.6% from 11,649 metric tons (MT) in the first quarter of 2017 to 10,528 MT in the same quarter of 2018. Decreases were observed among all provinces, except in Southern Leyte and Eastern Samar, which posted increases of 7.0% and 3.8%, respectively.

Among the provinces, Leyte produced the highest volume of corn at 7,101 MT, which comprised a little over two-thirds (67.4%) of the total corn production in the region. Biliran, meanwhile, had the lowest volume of production (118 MT) accounting for only 1.1%.

The total harvest area for corn in the region likewise decreased by 7.1%, from 8,081 hectares in the first quarter of 2017 to 7,507 hectares in the first quarter of 2018. Contributing largely to this decrease is Northern Samar with a drop of 30.1%.

Leyte recorded almost three quarters or 74.3% (5,574 hectares) of the total corn area harvested during the quarter in review, while Eastern Samar contributed the least (70 hectares) accounting for only 0.9%.

Yield per hectare for corn in the region remained at 1.4 metric tons per hectare.

Among the provinces, Eastern Samar posted the highest yield per hectare during the quarter in review at 2.0 MT per hectare. Biliran registered the lowest yield per hectare at 1.2 MT per hectare.