Iloilo, Western Visayas’ leading rice producer, recorded the largest drop in palay output and harvested area in the region in the fourth quarter of 2025, based on data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
Palay production in Iloilo declined as the region’s total output dropped by 46.9 percent to 327,026 metric tons in the last three months of 2025 from 616,341 metric tons in the same period in 2024.
The province, despite the drop, still made up more than half or 51.3 percent of Western Visayas’ palay production, maintaining its position as the top producer.
Iloilo also had the biggest reduction in harvested area, accounting for 25.2 percentage points of the region’s 36.8 percent overall decrease.
The province’s harvested area dropped to 65,137 hectares from 112,612 hectares a year ago.
The drop in Western Visayas was mainly caused by lower rainfed palay production, which fell by 60.8 percent from 400,669 metric tons to 157,064 metric tons.
Irrigated palay output also decreased by 21.2 percent to 169,963 metric tons from 215,672 metric tons.
Harvested area for rainfed palay went down by 47.1 percent to 67,916 hectares. Irrigated areas declined by 14.8 percent to 51,286 hectares.
Iloilo remained the top province in palay land use, accounting for 54.6 percent of the region’s 119,202 hectares harvested in the fourth quarter.
Antique had 15.9 percent, Capiz 14.7 percent, while Aklan and Guimaras had less than 10 percent each.
The PSA data underscored Iloilo’s role as the main rice producer in Western Visayas and its vulnerability to production drops, especially in rainfed areas.IMT
