May 13, 2004

Philippine Farm Output Up More Than 4% In 1st Quarter

Philippine agricultural output likely rose more than four percent in the first quarter from the same 2003 period, a local newspaper reported on Thursday.

"My fearless forecast is that (we hit) over four percent in the first quarter," Agriculture Secretary Luis Lorenzo was quoted as saying in the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

"But we are still waiting for the results from the livestock and poultry sectors."

The government is scheduled to announce the agricultural sector's first quarter performance on Monday. The farm sector grew 2.79 percent in the first quarter last year.

Initial data from the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics showed that rice and corn production exceeded forecasts.

Unmilled rice production reached 3.43 million metric tonnes in the first three months of the year, up 13 percent from 3.03 million in the same 2003 period.