More farm workers lost jobs in 2013

Bad weather in 2013 snuffed out some 334,000 farm jobs, causing a record 2.8-percent contraction in agricultural employment, according to the Bureau of Labor and Employment Statistics.

The BLES in its latest report attributed the decline to extreme weather conditions throughout the year, particularly the destructive typhoons in the first quarter, as well as the intense heat in the second quarter.

About 298,000 farmers and forestry workers lost their jobs last year. Some 35,000 fishery workers met the same fate.

“The record decline in agricultural employment was the main drag that pared down overall employment growth in 2013,” the BLES said.

The loss of jobs in the agriculture sector dampened gains in the industry and services sectors, bringing the average employment growth rate to just 0.8 percent for 2013. The figure means that 317,000 more people had jobs in 2013 than in the previous year.

In 2013, the number of jobs was pegged at 37.92 million, rising from 37.6 million in 2012.

Also, according to the National Statistical Coordination Board, the agriculture sector’s share in Philippine domestic output fell further to 8.8 percent in terms of constant prices.

Based on 2000 prices, gross domestic product was valued at P8.06 trillion in 2013. Agriculture accounted for P706.6 billion.

In 2011, agriculture’s share in the domestic economy was 9.7 percent, or P699 billion. It eased to 9.3 percent, or P680 billion, in 2012.

Among the three major sectors, agriculture grew the least at 1.1 percent for the full year of 2013.

In the fourth quarter of last year, agriculture contributed 0.1 percentage point to the 6.5-percent quarterly growth of gross domestic product.

Palay production chipped in 2 percentage points to GDP expansion, but a contraction in fisheries output shaved off 0.09 percentage point from the total.

The umbrella group Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (Sinag) said that, while the sector continued to grow despite unfavorable environment conditions, agriculture continued to suffer from man-made problems.

“Notwithstanding the gains and various plans envisioned for the agriculture sector, issues like unreasonable fiscal incentives to foreign companies as well as the smuggling of commodities like rice, meat and high-value crops still prevail,” Sinag chair Rosendo So told the Inquirer.

“These issues continue to prevent the agriculture industry from fully realizing its goals.”