Agriculture growth surges 2.87% in Q3
Credit to Author: Eireene Jairee Gomez| Date: Wed, 06 Nov 2019 16:34:36 +0000
THE country’s agricultural production increased by 2.87 percent in the third quarter of the year, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said on Wednesday, surpassing the government’s growth goal of 2 to 2.5 percent.
In its “Performance of Philippine Agriculture” report for July to September, the statistics agency said the latest figure reversed the -1.27-percent and -0.87-percent growth posted in the second quarter and the same period in 2018, respectively.
In terms of production, increases were seen in the crops, livestock, poultry and fisheries subsectors. But their total value based on current prices continued to decline, sliding by
3.64 percent to P395.3 billion from last year’s P410.2 billion.
The crops subsector, which made up 45.19 percent of total production, grew by 2.01 percent in July to September. Among the major crops, corn output increased by 23.47 percent, while that of palay fell by 4.53 percent.
The decrease in rice output “was attributed to the substantial reduction in harvested areas in Western Visayas and Soccsksargen due to insufficient water supply. The same reason was cited for decreases in harvested areas in Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula and Caraga,” the PSA said.
Livestock production rose by 1.63 percent, accounting for 18.67 percent of total output. The growth was primarily driven by higher hog and dairy output at 1.96 percent and 6.48 percent, respectively.
Poultry output rose by 8.41 percent in the third quarter, making up 19.44 percent of the total. Improvements in all poultry commodities drove the growth.
Chicken production grew by 8.48 percent on increased demand for broiler chicken in Central Luzon and Calabarzon. According to the PSA, chicken served as a substitute for pork after the African swine fever (ASF) broke out in the country.
“Production of chicken eggs increased by 8.84 percent as a result of better egg-laying efficiency in commercial layer farms in CAR (Cordillera Administrative Region), Central
Luzon, Western Visayas, Central Visayas and Northern Mindanao,” the agency said.
Duck and duck egg output also expanded by 2.51 percent and 2.64 percent,
respectively, which the PSA credited to the increase in the inventory of laying flock in most regions.
Fisheries output also went up by 0.56 percent — accounting for 16.70 percent of the total — on noted increases in milkfish, skipjack and seaweed.
The gross value of the crops, livestock and fisheries subsectors fell to P199.6 billion, P70.1 billion and P64.1 billion, while that of poultry rose by 9.60 percent to P61.5 billion from last year’s P56.1 billion.
In the third quarter, farmgate prices slid further by 6.33 percent, with decrements recorded across all subsectors, except poultry.
Agriculture Secretary William Dar welcomed the sector’s improved overall growth, calling it “a much better performance.”
“We will continue to enhance the proper and sustained implementation of programs and projects of the Department of Agriculture to further elevate the growth of the agriculture sector,” Dar said in a statement.
“We were expecting [growth of] between 2 percent and 2.5 percent. This shows that the farmers and [fishermen] are showing a resilient performance with the programs and projects of the DA,” he added.