Palay production in the first quarter of 2025 is expected to reach 4.72 million metric tons, with higher yields offsetting a decrease in rice planting area, according to the latest estimate of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
The PSA said the estimated output represents a 0.7 percent increase from the 4.69 million metric tons harvested in the same period of 2024, with the increase in per hectare yield making up for the decline in areas planted to rice.
In contrast, corn production is forecasted to decline by 7.0 percent to 2.35 million metric tons, down from 2.53 million metric tons last year.
Rice and corn are major commodities that help determine the growth of agriculture, a sector that accounts for 10 percent of gross domestic products and around two in every 10 jobs.
For palay, the total harvested area is projected to be 1.15 million hectares, a 2.3 percent decrease from the previous year. However, yield per hectare is projected to rise by 3 percent to 4.11 metric tons.
Improved weather conditions, increased water supply, and government support have likely contributed to better palay yields, although the declining global price of rice may have influenced planting decisions.
Corn yield, meantime, is expected to improve by 2 percent to 3.66 million metric tons per hectare. The improvement, however, was not enough to compensate for an 8.8 percent drop in the area planted to corn, which is estimated at 643,150 hectares.
Factors such as declining corn prices and the lingering effects of African Swine Fever, which has impacted hog production, have likely affected planting intentions, as corn is a key ingredient in animal feed production.
