In 2023, the total volume of corn production in the MIMAROPA Region was estimated at 125,326 metric tons. Among the provinces in the region, Occidental Mindoro’s corn production of 99,390 metric tons accounted for the highest share at 79.3 percent of the region's total corn production. This was followed by Palawan, which produced 18,969 metric tons, representing a 15.1 percent share of the region's total corn production. Meanwhile, the combined corn production from Oriental Mindoro, Romblon, and Marinduque, totaling 6,967 metric tons, accounted for a 5.6 percent share of MIMAROPA’s total corn production. (Figure 1 and Table 1)

A total of 115,723 metric tons of corn produced in the MIMAROPA Region were yellow in 2023. This accounted for 92.3 percent of the total volume of corn production in the region. Yellow corn was predominantly produced in Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, and Palawan, with corresponding shares of 97.1 percent, 92.2 percent, and 76.0 percent of the total corn production in their respective provinces. (Figure 2 and Table 1)

Meanwhile, corn produced in the provinces of Romblon and Marinduque was predominantly white, accounting for an estimated share of 61.5 percent and 60.6 percent, respectively, in their provincial corn production. (Figure 2 and Table 1)

Volume of corn production down by 1.3 percent

The MIMAROPA Region’s corn production of 125,326 metric tons in 2023 was lower by 1,625 metric tons, or 1.3 percent, compared to the regional production of 126,950 metric tons in 2022. Occidental Mindoro significantly contributed to this decrease with a reduction of 1,195 metric tons, or 1.2 percent decline relative to its annual production in the previous year. This was followed by a downturn of 502 metric tons from Palawan, representing a 2.6 percent decrease from its 2022 volume of production. (Figure 3 and Table 1)
 

The decline in regional corn production was prominently observed in white corn in 2023. White corn produced in the MIMAROPA Region decreased significantly by 1,873 metric tons, or 16.3 percent, from 11,475 metric tons in 2022 to 9,603 metric tons in 2023. The decrease in production was mainly due to Occidental Mindoro, which contributed a reduction of 1,303 metric tons. (Figure 4 and Table 1)

Meanwhile, yellow corn produced within the region in 2023 was registered at 115,723 metric tons, representing a slight 0.2 percent increase from 115,475 metric tons in 2022. The increase was attributed to the rise in production of yellow corn from Marinduque (352 metric tons increase), Oriental Mindoro (133 metric tons increase), Occidental Mindoro (108 metric tons increase) and Romblon (66 metric tons increase). (Figure 4 and Table 1)

Total corn area harvested shrinks by 5.7 percent

The total area harvested for all types of corn in 2023 reached 28,862 hectares. Among the provinces in the region, Occidental Mindoro recorded the largest area harvested at 20,244 hectares, with a 70.1 percent share of the regional area harvested. Palawan followed with 6,078 hectares (21.1 percent share). Meanwhile, the provinces of Oriental Mindoro, Romblon, and Marinduque had a combined estimated area harvested of 2,540 hectares, corresponding to an 8.8 percent share of the regional area harvested. (Figure 5 and Table 2)

Compared to the region’s recorded harvested area of 30,619 hectares in 2022, the total area harvested in the region shrank by 1,757 hectares, or a decline of 5.7 percent. This reduction in the area harvested was mainly due to the decrease in area harvested from Occidental Mindoro (1,571 hectares). (Figure 5 and Table 2)

The shrinkage in the area harvested was also due to the decline in the area harvested for yellow and white corns from 2022 to 2023. The decrease in the area for both type of corns was mainly attributed to Occidental Mindoro, which experienced a cutback of 1,219 hectares in yellow corn’s area and 352 hectares in white corn’s area. (Figure 6 and Table 2)

Average corn yield registers at 4.34 metric tons per hectare    

The average corn yield of the MIMAROPA Region in 2023 was recorded at 4.34 metric tons per hectare, an increase of 4.7 percent from 4.15 metric tons per hectare in 2022. This increase was mainly due to the rise in average yield in Marinduque (2.84 metric tons per hectare), which increased by 9.4 percent, followed by Romblon (2.86 metric tons per hectare) at 8.1 percent, Occidental Mindoro (4.91 metric tons per hectare) at 6.5 percent, and Oriental Mindoro (2.67 metric tons per hectare) at 0.3 percent. Meanwhile, Palawan experienced a 0.7 percent decrease in average corn yield to 3.12 metric tons per hectare. (Figure 7 and Table 3)
 

(SGD) LENI R. RIOFLORIDO
Regional Director

MLLM / RRL / JPR

TECHNICAL NOTES

Corn Production Survey (CPS) is a major quarterly agricultural survey conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority. Its main objective is to generate estimates on corn production, area, yield, and other production-related data. Production data from this survey serves as direct inputs in the value of production in the Philippine Agriculture and Fisheries, and to the computation of the Gross Domestic Product. In addition, this survey also supports the data needs of planners, policy and decision makers on corn, and stakeholders in the agricultural sector, particularly the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Department of Agriculture (DA) and its attached agencies such as Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF), and the public.

Data gathered in CPS are as follows: (1) production, area planted / harvested and yield by type of corn and by seed type; (2) usage of seeds, fertilizer and pesticides; (3) source of irrigation water and adequacy, monthly distribution of production and area harvested; (4) farm household disposition of production; and (5) area with standing crop, farmer’s planting intention for the quarter.

Definition of Terms

Corn production refers to the quantity of corn produced and harvested during the reference period. It includes those harvested but damaged, stolen, given away, consumed, given as harvesters’ and thresher’s shares, reserved, etc. Corn production from seed growers which are intended for seed purposes is excluded from the survey.

Two types of corn harvested are considered in corn production. These are as follows:
1.  White corn is a type of corn used primarily for human consumption. 
2.  Yellow corn is generally used as feed grains. It includes all types of corn other than white corn.

Area harvested refers to the actual area from which harvests are realized. This excludes crop areas which were totally damaged. The harvest area refers to the effective area on corn where harvesting is done during the reference quarter.

Yield is an indicator of production derived by dividing the total production by the area harvested.