May 20, 2013

 

Philippines' agriculture industry grows by 3.3% in Q1 2013

 

 

As all four subsectors - crops, fishery, poultry and livestock - posted respective increases, the Philippine agriculture industry grew by 3.3% in the first three months of 2013, grossing a total of PHP352.5 billion (US$8.6 billion) at current prices.

 

Citing estimates of the Department of Agriculture's (DA) Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS), Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala said the crops subsector, accounting for more than one-half (54.1%) total agricultural production, increased by 3.6%. It was bannered by palay and corn, which grew by 4.45% and 11.43%, respectively.

 

For the first quarter of the year, the country's farmers harvested a total of 4.17 million tonnes of palay (unmilled rice) and 2.25 million tonnes of corn, valued at PHP66 billion (US$1.6 billion) and PHP27.8 billion (US$674 million), respectively, at current prices.

 

The DA chief said the increased harvests of palay and corn were mainly due to early plantings, adequate supply of irrigation water, higher average yields as a result of increased usage of hybrid and certified rice seeds, hybrid and open-pollinated variety (OPV) corn seeds, and additional areas planted to both rice and corn.

 

"Our efforts are paying off, and we hope to attain our sufficiency targets by year-end," said Alcala. "For these achievements, we thank our country's farmers and fishers for their continuous hard work and perseverance, and strong cooperation of local government units and the private sector," he added.

 

The DA targets to produce 20 million tonnes of palay and 8.4 million tonnes of corn by end of 2013, making the Philippines sufficient in both staples. Last year's output totalled 18 million tonnes of palay and 7.4 million tonnes of corn.

 

Just recently, the country started exporting 35 tonnes of aromatic and organic black rice to Dubai. Another batch of 80 tonnes of premium and organic, coloured rice varieties is being readied for shipment to other countries. The DA in partnership with the private sector also exported 24 tonnes of corn feed silage for cattle to South Korea. It is part of a total 15,000 tonnes of corn silage to be shipped to that country this year.

 

The fisheries subsector, which shared 16.3% to total agricultural production, rebounded with a 5.6% growth, as production of aquaculture species like milkfish (bangus) and tilapia has increased.

 

Larger catch of marine species like roundscad (galunggong) and tuna were also recorded, as result in part of the conservation measures imposed in Zamboanga and Visayan Seas, and lifting of the tuna ban in the Pacific Ocean. Total value of fishery production amounted to PHP59.5 billion (US$1.44 billion) at current prices.

 

The poultry subsector, accounting for 14.4% to total agricultural production, posted a 2.8% growth, with total value of production at PHP45.8 billion (US$1.1 billion) at current prices. The subsector was led by chicken, whose output grew by 3.3%, worth PHP34.6 billion (US$839 million).

 

The livestock subsector, which contributed 15.3% to total agricultural output, barely grew at 0.3%, with total production value of PHP54.3 billion (US$1.3 billion) at current prices. The hog industry grew by 0.36%, valued at PHP44.87 billion (US$1.1 billion) at current prices.