The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) – La Union Provincial Statistical Office conducts the 1^st Quarter 2022 Palay and Corn Production Survey (PCPS) and monthly Palay and Corn Stocks Survey (PCSS) on April 1-10, 2022.

The PCPS consists of two national quarterly surveys which are conducted simultaneously. These are the Palay Production Survey (PPS) and Corn Production Survey (CPS).  The PCPS aims to generate estimates on palay and corn production, area harvested, yield and other production-related data while the PCSS is designed to generate estimates of current stocks of palay, rice, corn grains and corn grits in farm and non-farm households. Data collected from both surveys will support and guide the data needs of planners, policy and decision makers, and other stakeholders especially palay and corn farmers.

Results of the 4^th Quarter 2021 PPS showed that:

• The volume of palay production in La Union in 4^th quarter 2021 recorded at 110,345.00 metric tons was 10.26 percent lower than the volume of palay production in the province in the same period of 2020 at 122,957.00 metric tons;

• The area harvested for palay in the province decreased by 0.66 percent from 27,879 hectares in 4^th quarter 2020 to 27,695 hectares in 4^th quarter 2021; and

• The yield per hectare also declined by 9.75 percent from 4.41 metric tons per hectare in 4^th quarter 2020 to 3. 98 metric tons per hectare in 4^th quarter 2021.

For the 4^th Quarter 2021 CPS in La Union, the key results are as follows:

• The volume of corn production in La Union decreased by 10.21 percent in 4^th quarter 2021 at 1,064.00 metric tons from 1,185.00 metric tons in 4^th quarter 2020;

• The area harvested for corn declined by 4.49 percent from 334.00 hectares in 4^th quarter 2020 to 319.00 hectares in 4^th quarter 2021;  and

• The yield per hectare went down by 5.92 percent from 3.55 metric tons per hectare in 4^th quarter 2020 to 3.34 metric tons per hectare in 4^th quarter 2021.

PSA-La Union hired and trained 15 Statistical Researchers (SRs) who will visit 280 sample palay farming households and 356 sample corn farming households for PCPS, and 120 sample palay farming households, 40 sample corn farming households and 80 sample non-farming households for PCSS in various sample barangays in the province. All hired SRs are in good health condition and will abide with the health and safety protocols laid down by the Local Government Units (LGUs) to ensure the safety of all concerned during the field operation.

The PSA enjoins the support of the LGUs and cooperation of sample households in providing truthful, complete and accurate information to the SRs. All the data and information collected by the SRs from sample households are for statistical purposes only and shall not be used for purposes of taxation or investigation as provided under Republic Act (RA) 10625. 

SGD. DANITES E. TEÑIDO, Ph.D.
Chief Statistical Specialist

MFC