The Philippines has lost a significant amount of agricultural farmland over the past 30 years, with a 38.2% decrease reported by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). This decline comes despite a consistent increase in the number of farms, highlighting a shrinking average farm size. The 2022 Census of Agriculture and Fisheries Agricultural Farm and Parcel Characteristics revealed a total of 7.43 million farms, covering 6.16 million hectares, compared to 9.97 million hectares in 1991.
The total area of agricultural farms in the Philippines lost 3.81 million hectares or nearly 38.2 percent over the past three decades, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority show. This was based on the results of the 2022 Census of Agriculture and Fisheries Agricultural Farm and Parcel Characteristics released recently by the PSA.
It recorded a total of 7.43 million farms with a crop farm and/or a livestock and poultry operation as reported by the agricultural operators in the country in 2022. The PSA noted that historically, the results of CAF from 1960 to 2022 showed a consistent increase in the number of farms, based on reports from agricultural operators for each census reference period. “However, despite the growing number of farms, the total area of agricultural farms has steadily decreased since 1991, falling from 9.97 million hectares in 1991 to 6.16 million hectares in 2022,” it said. “Comparing 2022 to previous years underscores the extent of this decline. The total farm area in 2022, at 6.16 million hectares, is significantly lower than the peak of 9.97 million hectares in 1991, reflecting a reduction of 38.2 percent,” the PSA said. It said that when compared to earlier years such as 1980 and 1970 , the total farm area in 2022 remained substantially smaller. Over the span of five decades, the average farm size significantly declined from 3.61 hectares in 1970 to 0.83 hectares in 2022, reflecting a 77.0 percent decrease. This significant reduction in average farm size is becomes particularly clear when compared to 2012 and 2002 , the PSA said. Across regions, Western Visayas reported the highest number of farms in 2022, with 779,000 farms covering a total area of 454,000 hectares. It was followed by Central Visayas, which had 722,000 farms spanning 305,000 hectares. Bicol Region reported 605,000 farms, covering 519,000 hectares. Meanwhile, the National Capital Region recorded the least number of farms, with only 34,000 farms and an area of 15,000 hectares.
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