Negros Occidental ranked first in terms of average yield per hectare in rice production in Western Visayas in the first half of 2025, making it one of the region’s top producers recognized by the Department of Agriculture (DA).
The province’s average yield is 3.94 metric tons (MT) per hectare, data released by the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) on Wednesday, July 9, showed.
In terms of total rice production, Negros Occidental placed second at 192,509.94 MT of harvest in 48,877.24 hectares planted to rice, next only to Iloilo, which has a 98,159.86-hectare rice area with 361,316.16 MT in total harvest.
Elizabeth Magno, provincial rice report officer, said Negros Occidental topped the average yield per hectare despite the challenges posed by the eruption of Kanlaon Volcano, the occurrence of pests and plant diseases, and a smaller rice area.
The OPA identified various key success factors in rice planting from January to June this year that contributed to the high average yield.
These include the early wet season delivery of seeds from the DA Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund – Seeds Program to the local government units, with 102 percent delivery accomplishment as of June 30; as well as the on-time delivery of 9,798 bags of hybrid seeds under Masagana Program and other agricultural inputs.
Other factors include the establishment of on-time technology demonstration sites in wet season with complete inputs; timing of planting with the onset of rains in rainfed and upland areas; augmentation of farm machinery and operators in the completion of crop establishment of demonstration site areas; and provision of agricultural support to irrigators associations and manpower in rice farms.
The rice program of Negros Occidental envisions a rice-secure province by empowering farmers and improving lives through high productivity and profitability, OPA said.
The province’s rice commodity roadmap aims to achieve an average yield of 6 MT per hectare in all ecosystems to boost local production and increase farmers income.
Negros Occidental and Iloilo were among the top rice producers awarded by the DA 6 (Western Visayas) during the Regional Rice Program Report Officers Mid-Year Assessment and Orientation held in Iloilo City on July 3.*PNA