The corn production in the Ilocos Region in 1^st quarter 2022 increased by 4.34 percent. From the output of 377,676 metric tons in the same period of 2021, it went up to 394,071 metric tons in 1^st quarter 2022. The harvest area expanded from 62,475 hectares to 64,831 hectares. The yield per hectare also increased from 6.05 metric tons to 6.08 metric tons.

The provinces of Ilocos Sur, La Union, and Pangasinan recorded positive growth in corn output, while Ilocos Norte experienced contraction.

Figure 1. Corn Estimates, Ilocos Region
1^st Quarter 2021 and 1^st Quarter 2022

                   Source: Corn Production Survey, PSA

About 93.54 percent of the total corn production of the Ilocos Region in 1^st quarter 2022 were yellow corn and the rest were white corn. In terms of the area harvested, yellow corn comprised 90.38 percent while 9.62 percent were white corn.

Figure 2. Percentage Distribution of Volume of Corn Production
by Type, Ilocos Region: 1^st Quarter 2022

                                                                                Source: Corn Production Survey, PSA

The highest corn harvest in 1^st quarter 2022 came from Pangasinan with 65.51 percent share in the total corn production in Ilocos Region. During the period, the province recorded 258,147 metric tons volume of corn production. This is higher by 3.41 percent from the 249,628 metric tons output in the same period in 2021. The harvest area was at 41,397 hectares, of which, 97.61 percent were yellow corn. On the other hand, the yield per hectare went up from 6.17 metric tons to 6.24 metric tons during the period.

Ilocos Sur ranked second among the four provinces of the region in terms of volume of corn production in 1^st quarter 2022. The province registered a production of 64,667 metric tons, higher by 12.54 percent from the output in 1^st quarter 2021 of 57,459 metric tons. The harvest area increased from 9,527 hectares to 10,909 hectares. The yield per hectare, however, went down from 6.03 metric tons to 5.93 metric tons. Yellow corn dominated the corn areas of the province sharing 90.66 percent.Figure 3. Percentage Distribution of Volume of Corn Production.

by Province, Ilocos Region: 1^st Quarter 2022

                                                                  Source: Corn Production Survey, PSA

The volume of corn production in Ilocos Norte decreased in 1^st quarter 2022. The output was posted at 46,121 metric tons, or 2.12 percent lower than the record in 1^st quarter 2021 of 47,119 metric tons. The harvest area also went down from 8,416 hectares to 8,217 hectares. Yellow corn comprised 79.62 percent of the total corn area harvested in the province, while the remaining were white corn. Meanwhile, the yield per hectare slightly increased from 5.60 metric tons to 5.61 metric tons. The province ranked third in terms of volume of corn production in 1^st quarter 2022
with 11.70 percent share.

The province of La Union produced 25,136 metric tons of corn during the 1^st quarter 2022. This is 7.10 percent higher than the output in the previous year of the same period. Yellow corn comprised 84.74 percent of the total corn area in the province. The harvest area increased to 4,308 hectares from the 4,082 hectares in 1^st quarter 2021. Likewise, the yield per hectare increased from 5.75 metric tons to 5.83 metric tons.

Table 1. Corn Production Estimates by Province
Ilocos Region: 1^st Quarter 2021 and 1^st Quarter 2022

                                         Note: Details may not add up to total due to rounding
                                         Source: Corn Production Survey, PSA

SGD. ATTY. SHEILA O. DE GUZMAN

Regional Director, RSSO I