Agriculture sector grew 1.1% in first 9 months

Agricultural output grew by a modest 1.1 percent in the nine months ending September despite the onslaught of destructive weather conditions that resulted in billions of pesos in production loss, especially in the third quarter.

Documents from the Department of Agriculture showed that during the nine-month period, the total gross value of agricultural products amounted to P563.3 billion (in constant prices). Agricultural output expanded by 2.2 percent to P557.2 billion in January-September of 2012.

“Albeit slower, (continued growth) means enhanced food security for the nation and higher incomes for our food producers,” said Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala Friday.

In current prices, this year’s growth so far was 1.6 percent, with production valued at P1.03 trillion.

Alcala said better production of corn and some high-value crops as well as livestock, poultry and fisheries helped offset the impact of lower-than-expected harvest of rice, coffee, coconut, sugarcane and peanuts.

Corn output improved by 0.4 percent to 5.92 million metric tons (MT), attributed to the expansion of farmland and the use of quality seeds especially in the regions of Northern Mindanao, Soccsksargen and Western Visayas. There was also better output of tomatoes, cabbage, pineapple, cassava, mongo and camote.

On the other hand, heavy rains from typhoons and the southwest monsoon or “habagat” destroyed crops and irrigation systems, which brought down rice output by 1.1 percent to 11.36 million MT.

In the same period last year, rice farms jacked up output by 7.5 percent to 11.59 million MT.

According to the Bureau of Agriculture Statistics, the crops subsector, which accounted for 50.6 percent of agricultural output, shrank by 0.85 percent in terms of volume and almost 2.7 percent by value.

The livestock subsector, which accounted for 16 percent of total ouput, grew by 1.9 percent to P90.2 billion in constant prices.