Farm output seen growing by 3-5%

The Department of Agriculture said the agricultural sector was seen hitting its production growth target, as improvement in fisheries output would complement the expansion in grains output.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala told reporters Monday that agricultural production was seen growing by 3 to 5 percent in 2013, faster than the 2.9 percent in 2012.

“As early as the first quarter, the fisheries sector is already showing improvement compared to its performance in the first quarter last year,” Alcala said.

In 2012, fisheries production contracted by 0.04 percent. Commercial fisheries grew by 0.23 percent in output while aquaculture recorded a 2.85 percent gain. Municipal fisheries, however, declined by 3.88 percent, according to data from the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics.

Rice and corn are expected to remain as the agricultural sector’s main growth drivers, with new record harvests targeted for this year.

The agriculture department is targeting a new record rice harvest this year at about 20 million tons from the current record 18.3 million tons in 2012, Alcala said.

The country is now more than 94 percent self-sufficient in rice.

Corn production is also seen to reach a new high of more than 8 million tons from the existing record of 7.4 million tons set in 2012.

Agriculture accounted for only 11.89 percent of the country’s economic production (measured in terms of gross domestic product) last year, although it remained the largest employer.

Including agribusiness, however, the sector’s contribution to the economy was estimated at 30 to 35 percent.

Alcala said the department was proposing a more accurate way of measuring agriculture’s contribution to the economy.

The domestic economy grew by 6.6 percent in 2012. The government aims to hit an average economic growth of 7 to 8 percent yearly from 2011 to 2016 under its medium-term Philippine Development Plan.