Farm output up 1.8 pct in H1

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - Philippine farm production posted a year on year growth of 1.81 percent in the January to June period on the back of higher rice and corn output, the local statistics agency said today.

The Philippine Statistics Agency (PSA) said farm growth in the first half of the year is slightly higher than the 1.51 percent increment posted in the same period last year.

The crops subsector, which accounted for nearly 53 percent of total agricultural production, expanded by 3.68 percent during the period.

Unmilled rice output rose by 4.78 percent on year to 8.38 million metric tons (MMT) while corn production went up by 4.7 percent on year to 3.48 MMT. Rice and corn are major crops grown in the Philippines.

Meanwhile, PSA said coconut production suffered a 5.6 percent decline due to scale insect infestation in major coconut-growing areas. The agency also said coconut plantations in central Philippines have yet to recover from the damage caused by typhoon Haiyan (local name: Yolanda).

The livestock, poultry, and fisheries subsectors also managed to post minimal gains in the January to June period.

The agriculture sector accounted for 10 percent of the country' s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2013.