PALAY

Palay production decreases by 1.03%

The October to December 2022 palay production in Bicol Region decreased to 460.06 thousand metric tons or by 1.03% from the 2021 output of 464.85 thousand metric tons. Yield per hectare declined to 3.72 metric tons or by 2.10% in 2022 from 3.80 metric tons in 2021. Harvest area expanded to 123.56 thousand hectares from previous year’s record of 122.22 thousand hectares (Figure 1).  

Production increments were noted in Camarines Sur (1.95%), and Sorsogon (1.10%). On the other hand, decrements in output were reported in Camarines Norte (9.32%), Albay (5.84%), Masbate (4.05%), and Catanduanes (1.36%) (Table 1).
 

Camarines Sur posted the highest production of irrigated palay at 170.98 thousand metric tons followed by Albay with 49.83 thousand metric tons. Production of rainfed palay was also highest in Camarines Sur at 61.05 thousand metric tons followed by Masbate at 50.18 thousand metric tons (Figure 2).

More than half of the harvested area for palay in Bicol Region is in Camarines Sur

Camarines Sur contributed 51.25% to the total harvested area for palay in Bicol Region during the fourth quarter of 2022. Masbate and Albay had the next largest harvested areas with 15.99% and 13.21% shares, respectively. Catanduanes had the smallest area comprising 1.49% of the total harvested area (Figure 3).
 

Camarines Norte has the highest yield for palay in Bicol Region in the fourth quarter of 2022

Camarines Norte registered the highest yield of palay with 4.50 metric tons per hectare in the fourth quarter of 2022. This was followed by Sorsogon with a yield of 4.35 metric tons per hectare and Albay with 4.02 metric tons. Catanduanes posted the lowest yield at 2.85 metric tons per hectare (Figure 4).
 

CORN

Corn production decreases by 2.39%

Corn output in October to December 2022 was estimated at 53.67 thousand metric tons. This was 2.39% lower than the 54.99 thousand metric tons recorded in previous year’s same quarter. Harvest area contracted to 17.14 thousand hectares or by 4.87% from the 2021 level of 18.02 thousand hectares. Yield per hectare improved to 3.13 metric tons from 3.05 metric tons in 2021 (Figure 5).
 

Output gains were registered in Camarines Norte (163.76%), Masbate (1.98%), and Camarines Sur (1.73%). On the other hand, decrements in production were noted in Catanduanes (67.52%), Sorsogon (25.08%), and Albay (19.65%) (Table 2).
 

Production of white corn was highest in Masbate (6,377 metric tons) followed by Camarines Sur (5,278 metric tons), and Albay (654 metric tons). Meanwhile, yellow corn production was highest in Camarines Sur (31,800 metric tons) followed by Albay (8,448 metric tons), and Masbate (596 metric tons) (Figure 6). 

More than half of harvested area for corn in Bicol Region is in Camarines Sur

Fifty-three percent of harvested area for palay in Bicol Region during the fourth quarter of 2022 was in Camarines Sur. Masbate and Albay had the next largest harvested areas with 26.46% and 18.75% shares, respectively (Figure 7). 

Camarines Sur has the highest yield for corn in Bicol Region in the fourth quarter of 2022

Camarines Sur registered the highest yield for corn with 4.05 metric tons per hectare in the fourth quarter of 2022. Albay followed with 2.83 metric tons while Catanduanes posted the lowest yield at 0.81 metric tons per hectare (Figure 8). 

Technical Notes:
Production refers to quantity produced and actually harvested during the reference period. It includes those harvested but were damaged, stolen, given away, consumed, given as harvesters’ and threshers’ shares, reserved, etc. Palay production from seed growers which are intended for seed purposes is excluded from the survey. Harvest area refers to the actual area from which harvests were realized. This excludes crop area that was totally damaged. It may be smaller than the area planted. Production and harvest area for palay and corn are generated from the Palay Production Survey (PPS) and Corn Production Survey (CPS), which have four survey rounds in a year; that is, January, April, July and October.