Palay and corn production in the Philippines rose significantly in the first half of 2025, with palay output reaching 9.08 million metric tons—a 6.4-percent increase from the same period last year, according to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). Corn production climbed 5.2 percent to 3.9 million tons, buoyed by strong second-quarter performance.
Palay area planted: 2.12 million hectares (+2.7 percent year-on-year)
Corn area planted: 1.049 million hectares (slightly down from 1.052 million hectares)
Why it matters:
The first-half harvest typically accounts for over 40 percent of annual output, and these gains position the country to potentially surpass the Department of Agriculture’s 2025 target of 20.46 million metric tons—beating the previous record of 20.06 million tons set in 2023.
“Palay and corn production for the January–June semester gives us hope for a better year for agriculture despite the challenges we now face,” said Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.
“Mother Nature permitting, and with the help of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and lawmakers, we are cautiously optimistic that we could post a record harvest this year.”
Driving the news:
Second-quarter surge: Farmers took advantage of increased rainfall, particularly in rainfed areas, with second-quarter palay planting expanding 9.2 percent to 972,882 hectares.
Irrigated rice lands also grew, supported by government-backed initiatives like double-dry cropping, led by the Department of Agriculture and National Irrigation Administration.
Corn comeback:
Despite a 5-percent dip in first-quarter production, the 27-percent jump in second-quarter corn output to 1.5 million tons drove the overall growth. This helped counter minor declines in planting area.
The big picture:
Rice and corn are staple commodities for the Philippines, contributing to around 10 percent of GDP and employing one in five Filipinos. The rebound in production is seen as a critical boost following last year’s weather-related decline to 19.09 million tons. —Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
