Ada Pelonia

THE country’s rice output settled at 19.68 million metric tons (MMT) in 2025, falling short of reaching another record harvest.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that the country’s rice production last year inched up by 3 percent from the 19.09 MMT recorded in 2024.

Albeit higher, the latest figures failed to surpass the all-time-high palay output in 2023 at 20.06 MMT.

Despite this, the paddy rice production posted was within the range projected by the Department of Agriculture (DA) between 19.61 MMT and 19.89 MMT, a downward adjustment from its initial forecast.

The DA said it lowered its estimates for the country’s palay output last year due to fourth-quarter typhoons that ravaged local plantations.

Meanwhile, PSA data also indicated that while palay production in irrigated farms also posted year-on-year increments in 2025, rainfed palay production declined.

The production of irrigated farms grew by 4 percent, reaching 15.15 MMT from the previous year’s 14.56 MMT. Rainfed farms produced 4.52 MMT, 0.12 percent lower than the 4.53 MMT recorded in 2024.

The palay output of Central Luzon, the country’s rice granary, rose to 3.54 MMT from the previous year’s 3.48 MMT. The region maintained its position as the country’s top rice-producing region in 2024.

Cagayan Valley, another big rice producer, trailed behind at 3 MMT. This was higher than the 2.92 MMT posted in the previous year.

Yellow, white corn

PSA data also indicated that corn output rose by 2.22 percent to 8.32 MMT in 2025 from the 8.14 MMT recorded in the previous year.

Yellow corn, which is a critical ingredient for animal feeds, increased by 2.11 percent to 6.36 MMT last year from 6.23 MMT in 2024.

White corn also registered an uptick year-on-year to 1.96 MMT in 2025 from 1.91 MMT in the previous year.

Image credits: BLOOMBERG

Published Date: January 20, 2026