Palay production in Eastern Visayas went up by 5.8 percent in the 4th quarter of 2022, posted at 258,993 metric tons (MT) from the 244,690 MT in the 4th quarter of 2021. This is attributed to the 3.5 percent increase in area harvested for palay from 66,252 hectares (Ha) in the 4th quarter of 2021 to 68,561 Ha in the same quarter of 2022. In addition, yield per hectare grew from 3.69 MT on the 4th quarter of 2021 to 3.78 MT on the 4th quarter of 2022, a slight increase by 2.3 percent.
 

LEYTE SHARES MORE THAN HALF OF THE TOTAL PALAY PRODUCTION

Leyte contributed the biggest share in palay production in Eastern Visayas at 142,740 MT during the 4th quarter of 2022 (Table 1). It comprised more than half or 55.1 percent of the total palay production in the region. Samar came next with 52,664 MT production, accounting for 20.3 percent of the region’s total palay production. Southern Leyte followed with 24,378 MT production, contributing 9.4 percent share. Biliran and Eastern Samar comprised 7.4 percent (19,110 MT) and 5.0 percent (12,889 MT), respectively. Meanwhile, Northern Samar had the lowest share at 2.8 percent (7,212 MT) of the total palay production in the region.

LEYTE POSTS BIGGEST INCREASE IN AREA HARVESTED FOR PALAY

All provinces except Eastern Samar and Samar registered increases in area harvested for palay. Leyte posted the biggest increase at 7.2 percent from 31,603 Ha in the 4th quarter of 2021 to 33,868 Ha in the same quarter in 2022. Northern Samar recorded the second highest percentage growth of 4.7 percent, followed by Southern Leyte at 0.2 percent and Biliran at 0.1 percent.

On the other hand, the total area harvested for palay in Samar and Eastern Samar slightly dropped from 17,504 Ha and 3,966 Ha in the fourth quarter of 2021 to 17,426 Ha and 3,964 Ha in the same quarter of 2022, a decrease by 0.4 percent and 0.1 percent, respectively.

As to the share in the proportion of area harvested for palay, Leyte posted the biggest share at 49.4 percent of the total area harvested for palay in the region in the 4th quarter of 2022. Samar came next with 17,426 Ha (25.4 percent) of area harvested, followed by Southern Leyte at 6,466 Ha (9.4 percent). Biliran and Eastern Samar contributed 6.5 percent and 5.8 percent, respectively. The province of Northern Samar, meanwhile, had the least area harvested during the period with only 2,395 Ha accounting for 3.5 percent of the total area harvested for palay.

BILIRAN RECORDS HIGHEST YIELD PER HECTARE

Among the Eastern Visayas’ provinces, Biliran recorded the highest yield per hectare at 4.30 MT/Ha during the 4th quarter of 2022. This figure, however, was 0.2 percent lower compared with the 4.31 MT/Ha recorded in the same quarter of 2021. Leyte followed at 4.21 MT/Ha. This registered an increase by 4.8 percent than its 4.02 MT/Ha recorded in the 4th quarter of 2021. Southern Leyte ranked third with 3.77 MT/Ha, but with a reduction of 0.2 percent compared with its figure in the same quarter of 2021. Eastern Samar ranked fourth with 3.25 MT/Ha, from 3.38 MT/Ha recorded in the same quarter of 2021, a decrease by 3.7 percent. Samar likewise posted a decrease by 2.0 percent at 3.02 MT/Ha in the 4th quarter of 2022 from 3.09 MT/Ha recorded in the same quarter of 2021. Although Northern Samar posted the lowest yield per hectare at 3.01 MT/Ha during the 4th quarter of 2022, this figure, however, was 2.9 percent higher than its yield of 2.93 MT/Ha recorded in the same quarter of 2021.