The volume of corn production in the Ilocos Region registered lower growth in 1st quarter 2024 compared to its level a year ago. The production recorded at 371,661 metric tons, or 4.0 percent lower than the 387,213 metric tons output in 1st quarter 2023. Ilocos Region ranked 2nd among the regions with 14.7 percent share to the total corn production of the country in 1st quarter 2024. The harvest area declined from 63,323 hectares to 60,516 hectares. Meanwhile, the yield per hectare increased from 6.11 metric tons to 6.14 metric tons.

In the Ilocos Region, Other Service Activities section recorded a total of 2,033 paid employees in 2022, equivalent to 95.9 percent of the total employment. This resulted to a decrease of 7.1 percent from the 2,188 paid employees in 2021.

The highest corn harvest in 1st quarter 2024 came from Pangasinan with 65.8 percent share to the total corn production in Ilocos Region. During the period, the province recorded 244,504 metric tons volume of corn production. This is lower by 0.2 percent from the 245,033 metric tons output in the same period in 2023. The harvest area of the province was at 38,864 hectares, of which, 96.6 percent were yellow corn. On the other hand, the yield per hectare went up from 6.28 metric tons to 6.32 metric tons in 1st quarter 2024 (Table 1).

Ilocos Sur ranked second among the provinces of the region in terms of volume of corn production in 1st quarter 2024. The province registered a production of 55,974 metric tons, lower by 20.6 percent from the output in 1st quarter 2023 of 70,453 metric tons. The harvest area decreased from 11,646 hectares to 9,327 hectares. The yield per hectare, also went down from 6.05 metric tons to 6.00 metric tons. Yellow corn dominated the corn areas of the province sharing 92.1 percent.

The volume of corn production in Ilocos Norte decreased in 1st quarter 2024. The output was posted at 45,986 metric tons, or 1.3 percent lower than the record in 1st quarter 2023 of 46,570 metric tons. The harvest area also went down from 8,340 hectares to 8,205 hectares. Yellow corn comprised 73.9 percent of the total corn area harvested in the province, while the remaining were white corn. However, the yield per hectare increased from 5.58 metric tons to 5.60 metric tons. The province ranked third in terms of volume of corn production in 1st quarter 2024 with 12.4 percent share.

The province of La Union produced 25,197 metric tons of corn during the 1st quarter 2024. This is 0.2 percent higher than the output in the previous year of the same period. Yellow corn comprised 79.8 percent of the total corn area in the province. The harvest area increased to 4,300 hectares from the 4,291 hectares. Likewise, the yield per hectare remained at 5.86 metric tons.

SGD. ATTY. SHEILA O. DE GUZMAN
Regional Director, RSSO I