Farm sector posts 1.1% growth in 9 mos

MANILA, Philippines - The agriculture sector grew by 1.10 percent in the first nine months of the year, grossing P1 trillion, data from the  Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) showed.

Production volume for the first three quarters of the year grew at a slower pace than the revised growth rate of 2.23 percent in the comparative period last year on lessened crop production. 

The value of production during the period, however, was higher by 1.64 percent than the previous gross earnings on price gains in the livestock, poultry and fisheries subsectors.

Production in the crops subsector, which contributed 50.57 percent to the total volume, contracted 0.85 percent during the period due to weather disturbances that visited the country during the period.

In the first nine months of the year, palay production reached 11.36 million metric tons (MT) , down 1.12 percent year-on-year as production fell in Cagayan Calley, Western Visayas, Bicol region, ARMM, Davao Region and Ilocos regions because of the onslaught of Typhoons Labuyo in August and Odette in September.

Corn production, placed at P5.92 million MT, rose 0.40 percent year-on-year on imporved harvets in Northern Mindanao, SOCCSKSARGEN and Western Visayas.

Coconut production declined 2.16 percent in the first three quarters of the year as farmers in Davao Region and Aurora province reeled from the destruction caused by Typhoon Pablo in December 2011. Plantations in Batangas continue to suffer from scale insect infestation. Coconut framers in Basilan have also shifted to rubber.

Production decreases were also seen for sugarcane as lower yields were seen in Tarlac and Sultan Kudarat. Banana production fell 7.98 percent as banana trees in the Davao region have not yet fully recovered from the onslaught of Typhoons Pablo and Ofel in 2012.

Also affected by other typhoons that visited the country this year are banana plantations in Mindoro Oriental and Central Luzon.

Pineapple production grew 2.22 percent because of continous expansion in farms run by large corporations in Northern Mindanao.

Production in the livestock subsector, which contributed 16.01 percent to the total output in the first nine months of the year, grew 1.89 percent. Cattle production rose 1.54 percent. High demand was noted by beef producers during the period, encouraging raisers to dispose live cattle.

Hog output expanded 2.16 percent as production rose in Central Luzon, CALABARZON, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Northern Mindanao and Davao Region.

Higher prices that prevailed during the third quarter encouraged hog producers to increase disposal for slaughtering.

The poultry subsector, which shared percent in the total agricultural output, sustained its production uptrend by registering a 4.31-percent gain during the period.

Chicken production rose 4.97 percent in the first nine months of the year. Significant increases in production were reported in Ilocos region, Cagayan Valley and Bicol region as manifested by higher volume of culled layers and broilers.

The fisheries subsector, which accounted for 18.42 percent of the total agricultural production, grew 3.38 percent year-on-year on expansion of culture areas.

The aggregate value of farm produce rose 1.64 percent year-on-year despite lower total production as farmgate prices improved.

Farmgate prices increased by an average of 0.54 percent during the first three quarters of 2013.