Weak sugar sector pulled down crop production in 2nd quarter
MANILA -The country’s total crop production dipped by 0.9 percent in the second quarter this year, pulled down by a double-digit decline in sugarcane output, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed.
In a report, the statistics agency said the volume totaled 17.9 million metric tons (MT) from 18.05 million MT in the same period a year ago.
Sugarcane output posted the biggest decline at 11.3 percent to 2.8 million MT from 3.2 million MT.
The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) said the typhoons that entered the country slashed sugarcane production in crop year 2022-2023 along with the closure of a major sugar mill in Batangas province.
Depending on the severity of the El Niño phenomenon, SRA administrator Pablo Luis Azcona said last week that local production may decline by 10 to 15 percent for crop year 2023-2024.
Yet, if the effect is minimal, sugar production is estimated at about 1.8 million MT compared to 1.799 million MT for crop year 2022-2023.
Meanwhile, mango recorded the largest increase at 11.4 percent as output stood at 596,340 MT during the period from 535,430 MT previously.
In terms of the country’s staple food, the output of palay or unhusked rice increased by 1.1 percent to 4.2 million MT, but that of corn fell by 0.8 percent to 1.5 million MT.
Rubber, cuplump, abaca, sweet potato, eggplant, tomato, cabbage and mongo sustained declines while banana, pineapple, calamansi, coconut, coffee, cacao, tobacco, cassava, potato, ampalaya fruit, onion and other crops reported harvest gains.
The PSA also said fisheries output decreased by 11.3 percent to 1.08 million MT from 1.2 million MT, with bigeye tuna (49.9 percent), skipjack (49.2 percent), fimbriated sardines (42.2 percent) incurring substantial declines.
Except for tiger prawn and round scad, all types of fish incurred losses in harvest.
Meanwhile, livestock and poultry production went up by 0.6 percent and 1.5 percent, respectively, despite the presence of animal diseases such as African swine fever and avian influenza.
Livestock output hit 540,460 MT from 537,370 MT year-on year, the majority of which came from hog (422,720 MT).
The volume of poultry produced ended at 680,500 MT from 670,590 MT, mostly from chicken with 477,760 MT. INQ
