Palay production inches up by 1.4% in the fourth quarter of 2020

By PSA-8
April 6, 2021

TACLOBAN CITY – Palay production in Eastern Visayas slightly increased by 1.4 percent, from 268,382 metric tons (MT) in the 4th quarter of 2019 to 272,182 MT in the same quarter of 2020. This is attributed to the minimal or 0.1 percent change in the total area harvested for palay from 72,797 hectares (Ha) in the 4th quarter of 2019 to 72,892 Ha in the same quarter of 2020. Likewise, the minimal increase in the production was due to the increase in the production in Samar by 3.2 percent during the reference period.

The Province of Leyte contributed the biggest share in palay production in Eastern Visayas at 148,509 MT during the 4th quarter of 2020 (Table 1). It comprised more than half or 54.6 percent of the total palay production in the region. Samar came next with 54,859 MT production, accounting for 20.2 percent of the region’s total palay production.

All provinces except Samar registered decreases in area harvested for palay. Southern Leyte posted the biggest drop by 2.4 percent from 6,674 Ha in the 4th quarter of 2019 to 6,512 Ha in the same quarter in 2020.

Among the provinces, Biliran recorded the highest yield per hectare at 4.35 MT/Ha during the 4th quarter of 2020. This figure was 0.5 percent lower compared with the4.37 MT yield per hectare recorded in the same quarter of 2019. Meanwhile, Samar registered the lowest yield at 2.86 MT/Ha.