Piñol projects positive Q1 farm growth

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Agriculture (DA) sees farm output growing by two percent in the first quarter driven by an improved crops sub-sector, its top official said.

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said agriculture production was expected to grow from January to March this year despite the typhoons that hit the Philippines in the latter part of 2016.

“Our first quarter output will still be affected by the typhoons that hit us late last year, but I think we will still be able to post a positive growth,” Piñol told reporters Monday afternoon.

“I wouldn’t be very optimistic but I would be happy with two percent as long as we don’t get hit again by typhoon since with climate change, you cannot predict anything,” he said.

In 2016, agricultural production fell 4.53 percent in the first quarter, weighed down by the poor output of the crop and fisheries sub-sectors as a result of the prolonged dry spell and typhoon damages.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), palay (unhusked rice) and corn production will significantly bounce back in the first half of 2017 due to increase in harvest area and enough water supply following the end of the dry spell.

PSA said palay production may reach 8.54 million metric tons (MT) for the first half, up 12 percent year on year.

Production in the first quarter alone is expected to jump 15 percent while second quarter output is seen to grow by almost eight percent.

Corn production is likewise forecast to grow by 25 percent to 2.4 million MT while harvest area is expected to rise by 11 percent.