ILOILO CITY— Three provinces in the Western Visayas region were able to surpass the 100-percent production growth of rice, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA-6).

Citing the data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), DA-6 reported that the provinces of Aklan, Capiz, and Guimaras surpassed the previous year’s rice production by more than 100 percent.

 “The significant increase in the rice production performance can be attributed to the expansion of the production area, and also to the free inputs provided to farmers under the Rice Resiliency Project (RRP-1) ,” said DA-6 Regional Director Remelyn Recoter.

The RRP-1 is a project that pushed for the boost of local rice production as a way to ensure rice sufficiency as the country is facing the threat of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Of all three provinces, Guimaras yielded the biggest increase in palay production with 380.87 percent growth.  Guimaras farmers yielded 25,366 metric tons.  In comparison, it was only 5,275 metric tons last year.

Aklan province’s palay production rose by 259.63 percent.  This year, Aklan farmers yielded 30,312 metric tons.  In comparison, it was 8,428 metric tons last year.

Rice production in Capiz province increased by 112.58 percent.  From 45,914 metric tons in 2019, it was up to 97,602 metric tons this year.

The provinces of Iloilo, Antique, and Negros Occidental also posted a growth of palay production by 38.51 percent, 25.17 percent, and 1.40 percent respectively.