Philippine farm output inched up in Q1

MANILA, Philippines — The country’s agriculture sector registered a slight increase in production in the three months ending March 2024 as three subsectors posted a decline during the period, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

In a report published Wednesday, the statistics agency said total agriculture output inched up by 0.05 percent in the first quarter. This was slower than the 2.1-percent growth in farm output in the same quarter in 2023.

The overall value of the sector’s production in the first quarter was P428.99 billion.

The 5.9 percent gain made by the poultry sector failed to shore up the output of the country’s farm sector as three subsectors—crops, livestock, and fisheries—slipped during the comparative period.

READ: Agri output up 0.7% in Q4 of 2023

The livestock posted the biggest decline in output, dropping by 3.6 percent. Decreases were recorded in hog and production while those of dairy, carabao, and cattle inched up.

Fisheries dropped by 1.3 percent, with threadfin bream (bisugo), mudcrab (alimango), bali sardinella (tamban), blue crab (alimasag) and grouper (lapu-lapu) contracting the most.

Crops production fell by 0.3 percent mainly due to the shrinking in palay output.

Poultry production – chicken, eggs, and ducks – grew by 5.9 percent.