Agriculture output dwindles to 8-year low in 2024

MANILA, Philippines — The value of the country’s agriculture and fisheries output fell by 2.2 percent to P1.725 trillion in 2024, the lowest in eight years as unfavorable weather conditions and pests curbed production nationwide, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.

PSA data showed that the combined value was the lowest since the P1.722 trillion recorded in 2016 and was also 2.2 percent lower than 2023’s P1.76 trillion.

The data also showed that the rate of decline in the value of the agriculture and fisheries production last year was the steepest since 2000 when the time series began.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) attributed the decline to the ill effects of extreme weather conditions as well as pests and diseases last year that resulted in cumulative losses of P57 billion in the agriculture and fisheries sector.

At least 1.4 million farmers incurred P57.78 billion in losses last year after 2.18 million metric tons (MT) of their production were damaged by El Niño, typhoons, volcanic eruptions, pests and diseases, according to the DA.

“This is one of the biggest losses that the agriculture sector has recorded ever for a given year,” Agriculture Assistant Secretary and spokesman Arnel de Mesa said.

University of Asia and the Pacific – Center for Food and Agri Business (UA&P-CFA) executive director Marie Annette Galvez-Dacul agreed with the DA that El Niño and La Niña disrupted the country’s agricultural production last year.

Furthermore, the persistence of transboundary animal diseases such as African swine fever impacted livestock production while the closed fishing season in the fourth quarter affected fisheries output, Dacul said.

“In 2025, UA&P-CFA expects modest growth for crops and livestock at zero to one percent, with poultry continuing to lead at five to six percent growth,” Dacul said.

“Fisheries output is projected to range from a 0.5 percent decline to 0.5 percent growth. The election year is expected to drive higher food demand, fueled by increased spending during the campaign season,” Dacul added.

Three out of the four subsectors posted contraction last year, with the poultry subsector the only one that grew on an annual basis.

The crops subsector, which contributed half of the total agriculture and fisheries output, recorded a P960.26 billion in output last year, about four percent lower than the P1 trillion recorded in 2023.

Meanwhile, the value of the production of the livestock sector declined by 4.25 percent year-on-year while fisheries output value fell by 1.1 percent, according to the PSA.

Poultry production last year expanded by 6.6 percent to P279.41 billion from P262.03 billion in 2023.

Volume wise, full-year crops production last year fell by 6.3 percent to 80.41 million MT from 85.83 million MT in 2023, according to the PSA.

Meanwhile, volume of livestock output declined by four percent to 2.17 million MT from 2.26 million MT. Likewise, volume of fisheries produced last year contracted by five percent year-on-year to 4.05 million MT from 4.26 million MT.

Poultry production last year reached 2.94 million MT, about 6.6 percent higher than the 2.76 million MT recorded in 2023, according to the PSA.