Central Luzon’s Total Palay Production Decreases in the Fourth Quarter of 2024

The region produced 1,273.85 thousand metric tons of palay in the fourth quarter of 2024, recording a decrease of 1.1 percent from the 1,288.43 thousand metric tons in the same period of 2023. Ilocos Region contributed the highest at 17.7 percent of the total palay production in the country. Central Luzon ranked second among the regions, contributing 17.6 percent. Meanwhile, CALABARZON contributed the least at 1.1 percent. (Figure 1 and Table 1)

The decrease in the volume of palay production in the region was attributed mainly toTable 2. Volume of Palay Production by Province, Central Luzon: Fourth Quarter, 2 the decrease in the provinces of Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, and Nueva Ecija. On the other hand, Tarlac, Pampanga, and Zambales recorded increases of 3.9 percent, 7.6 percent, and 18.0 percent, respectively. (Table 2)

Almost all the palay harvested in the fourth quarter of 2024 was from irrigated ecosystem (93.0%). Meanwhile, only 7.0 percent came from the rainfed ecosystem. (Figure 2)

In terms of volume of palay production, the region decreased by 14.58 thousand metric tons in the fourth quarter of 2024 from the 1,288.43 thousand metric tons in the same quarter of 2023. Likewise, palay harvested under the irrigated ecosystem dropped to 1,184.15 thousand metric tons by 1.4 percent. Meanwhile, palay harvested under the rainfed ecosystem grew to 89.70 thousand metric tons by 2.1 percent. (Figure 3)

Nueva Ecija remained to be the top producing province in terms of palay production in the region with its 551.19 thousand metric tons in the fourth quarter of 2024. This constituted more than one-third (43.3%) of the region’s total production followed by Tarlac, Pampanga and Bulacan at 23.9 percent, 11.8 percent, and 10.9 percent, respectively. The combined production of Aurora, Bataan and Zambales comprised the remaining 10.1 percent of the total palay production in the region. (Figure 4)

ARLENE M. DIVINO
Regional Director
PSA RSSO 03

TECHNICAL NOTES

Estimates of volume of palay production are generated from the Quarterly Palay Production Survey (PPS) of which there are four survey rounds in a year, that is, January, April, July and October.

The objective of the survey is to generate estimates on palay production.  The purpose of this survey is to provide data inputs for policy and programs on rice. The reference and enumeration periods by survey round are as follows:

Definition of terms

Production – refers to the quantity produced and actually harvested during the reference period. It includes those harvested but damaged, stolen, given away, consumed, given as harvester’s share, reserved, etc. Production from seed growers is excluded from the survey.

Irrigated palay – palay area with irrigation facilities that supply water to the farm through gravity, force/power, pump, etc.

Rainfed palay – palay grown in this ecosystem has dikes that retain water and is solely dependent upon rainfall for its water supply. In this special release, production in rainfed also includes those in upland. Palay grown in upland does not have amenities for standing water. It is usually located along elevated lands, along rivers, between hills, hillsides, etc. Upland type is confined not only to high places or hillsides but also to low areas having no facilities for standing water.