Agri production picks up in Q3

MANILA, Philippines – After three consecutive quarters of negative growth, the country’s agricultural sector picked up pace, rising by almost three percent from a year ago.

In the nine months to September, however, agricultural output was down by 1.53 percent, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported yesterday.

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Pinol told The STAR that positive growth was expected before the onset of the third quarter as agricultural areas have started to recover from the El Nino phenomenon.

“We continue to see a rapid positive growth until the fourth quarter and overall for 2016,” Pinol said in a phone interview.

“Although admittedly, we will be affected by the recent typhoons that hit the northern regions, I still project a positive growth especially in Mindanao. There is so much excitement in the agri sector so there will be continuing growth,” he added.

The agricultural sector grossed P1.11 trillion at current prices, up by nearly two percent.

The crops sub-sector, which accounted for bulk of agricultural production, reported a 3.6 percent drop in output.

Palay (unhusked rice) production declined 2.4 percent to 10.62 million metric tons (MT) while corn production slid 5.14 percent to 5.49 MT.

Significant losses were also recorded in the production of garlic, onion, calamansi and rubber.

At current prices, the crop sub-sector grossed at P612 billion, 3.2 percent higher than the 2015 gross earnings of P592.8 billion.

The fisheries sub-sector recorded a negative growth of 4.6 percent. All fish species, except milkfish, showed lower production during the period.

The reduction in production was due to decrease in stocking rate and area harvested, rehabilitation of some fish water pens, and low water salinity, among others.

The poultry and livestock sub-sectors, on the other hand, continued to post positive growth, rising by 1.53 percent and 5.04 percent, respectively.

Hog production alone grew 5.82 percent to 1.6 MMT. Carabao, cattle, goat and dairy output all increased by 1.59 percent, 0.76 percent, 0.25 percent and 2.75 percent, respectively.

Gross earnings in the livestock sub-sector rose 2.01 percent to P184 billion at current prices. The growth was mainly due to bigger volume of disposals and higher demand for consumption.

The country’s poultry sub-sector also grew by 1.53 percent on higher production of chicken and duck eggs.

The poultry sub-sector reported a 6.7 percent increase in gross earnings to P151.2 billion.

Meanwhile, average farm-gate prices increased by 3.72 percent.