November 14, 2006

 

Philippine agriculture production up nearly 5 percent despite typhoons

 

Philippine agriculture production grew 4.87 percent in the first three quarters from the same period last year, despite being buffeted by a series of typhoons, compared with 1.78 percent in January-September 2005, according to the Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap.

 

Yap said the sector, which accounts for one-fifth of the overall economic output, grew 4.27 percent on-year in the July-September quarter, compared with 2.33 percent in the same months last year and 6.41 percent in the dry-season April-June quarter, he said.

 

Though the country was hit by two strong typhoons in the third quarter, the impact was minimal, he said.

 

He said the crops and fisheries sub-sectors led the growth in the third quarter, expanding by 5.76 percent and 7.54 percent, respectively.

 

Barring bad weather that could damage crops in the remaining months, Yap said the department is keeping a 4 to 4.5 percent full-year growth target.

 

The agriculture department is closely monitoring the impact of the drought-inducing El Nino weather phenomenon. El Nino started in the current quarter and is expected to continue until the summer months of 2007 in the western Pacific, according to Romeo Recide, director of the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics.

 

Recide said some crops would benefit from the long dry spell while others would suffer.

 

The crops sub-sector recovered in the January-September period from a contraction last year, with rice production rising 9.69 percent and corn output up 15.71 percent, a bureau report said
 

Crop production makes up almost half of total agricultural production, he said.

 

Other major growth contributors were banana, sugarcane, pineapple, coconut, cassava and rubber.

 

In fishery, output rose, with municipal fishing compensating for a drop in commercial fishing