Farm output expands by 3.3%

Philippine agricultural production expanded 3.3 percent in the first three months of 2013 with all four subsectors—crops, fishery, poultry, livestock—posting growth.

Rice and corn led the output in the crops subsector, which made up more than half of farm production, according to data from the Department of Agriculture.

Citing data from the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics, agriculture officials reported that the crops subsector produced 3.6 percent more in the first three months of 2013 than that of the previous year. Palay (unmilled rice) and corn output grew by 4.45 percent and 11.43 percent, respectively.

In the first quarter of the year, the country’s farmers harvested a total of 4.17 million metric tons of palay and 2.25 million tons of corn, valued at P66 billion and P27.8 billion, respectively.

The Philippines aims to produce 20 million metric tons of palay and 8.4 million metric tons of corn by the end of 2013. Last year’s output totaled 18 million metric tons of palay and 7.4 million tons of corn.

“Our efforts are paying off, and we hope to attain our sufficiency targets by yearend,” Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala said in a statement.

Over the past three years, the country has seen an unprecedented rise in rice production and, just recently, the country started exporting 35 tons of aromatic and organic black rice to Dubai. Another batch of 80 tons of premium and organic, colored rice varieties is being readied for shipment to other countries.

The DA, in partnership with the private sector, also shipped 24 tons of stored fodder for cattle to South Korea.

The fisheries subsector, which accounted for 16.3 percent of total agricultural production, rebounded with a 5.6 percent growth.

The livestock subsector, which contributed 15.3 percent to total agricultural output, grew slightly at 0.3 percent.