Agriculture output barely grows in Q3

MANILA, Philippines - Farm production managed a 0.04 percent growth in the third quarter, helped by gains in the livestock, poultry and fisheries subsectors, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported yesterday.

But in terms of value, the farm subsector grossed P336 billion, 3.23 percent lower than in the comparable period a year ago.

In the first nine months of 2015, the agriculture sector grew a mere 0.65 percent, the PSA said.

In the third quarter, the livestock subsector, which comprised 18.45 percent of total agricultural production,  grew 3.25 percent.

All components posted increases, with the hog subsector as the major contributor, growing 3.76 percent.

The livestock sector saw prices increase by 0.74 percent yo P58.5 billion.

Production in the poultry subsector improved by 8.76 percent, contributing 17.23 percent to the third quarter agricultural gross output.  Chicken production grew by 8.77 percent and chicken eggs by 9.91 percent.

In the first nine months, the poultry sector’s gross value rose by 6.32 percent.

The fisheries subsector grew by 1.8 percent in the third quarter, contributing 19.78 percent to total agricultural production. Production increments were recorded for milkfish, tilapia, tiger prawn, skipjack, yellowfin tuna and seaweed. At current prices, the subsector grossed P57.7 billion, up by 4.18 percent year-on-year.

For the nine-month period ending September, the gross value of production of the fisheries subsector dropped by 0.36 percent.

The crops subsector, however, reported a 4.86 percent decline in production in the third quarter.  It accounted for 44.5 percent to the total agricultural production.

The decline was attributed to the intense heat brought about by the prevailing dry spell as well as the destruction caused by typhoons Egay, Hannah and Ineng

While improvements in production were noted for banana, pineapple, mango, abaca, cassava, camote, eggplant and calamansi, palay and corn production were heavily affected by hot weather conditions and typhoons. At current prices, the subsector grossed P172.4 billion in the third quarter, down by 8.09 percent year-on-year. Gross value dropped by 1.69 percent in the first nine months of the year.

Average farmgate prices in the third quarter of the year fell by 3.27 percent. Prices were lower for crops, livestock and poultry subsectors. Prices of the fishery products went up by 2.33 percent this year.

For the first nine months, farmgate prices were down by 4.27 percent from last year’s level.