Farm output plunges to 11-year low in third quarter

MANILA, Philippines — The country’s agriculture and fisheries output fell to an 11-year low in the third quarter as high production costs and unfavorable climate risks, such as El Niño, constrained  the production of local crops and fisheries. 

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported that the value of agriculture and fisheries production, at constant 2018 prices, fell by five percent to P389.42 billion in the three-month period from P410.04 billion last year.

This is one of the sector’s steepest declines since 2015, when the value of production was at P386.04 billion. 

This also reverses the three percent expansion seen in the same period last year and the 2.9 percent increase in the second quarter of 2026. 

The PSA attributed the decline to lower crop and fisheries production values, despite expansions in the livestock and poultry during the period.

As of the first nine months of 2026, agricultural output amounted to P1.28 billion, a 0.6-percent contraction from the P1.29 billion in the same period the previous year.

Contributing half to the total agriculture and fisheries output, the crops subsector declined by 9.3 percent to P197.71 billion in the July to September period from P218 billion last year.

This was mainly driven by a steep decline in palay and corn production at 17.8 percent and 17.4 percent, respectively. 

The Department of Agriculture (DA) attributed the decline in crop production to elevated fertilizer and other input costs, coupled with floods caused by the recent habagat or monsoon impacting the planting decisions of farmers.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. noted that the DA has already readied a P62-billion response program to protect agricultural production and livelihoods from the potential severe effects of El Niño.

“We have mapped out a P62-billion El Niño response plan that will leverage new technologies, innovations, targeted interventions and collaboration with various government agencies to mitigate the impact of the climate risk on agriculture,” he said.

“The DA will not do this alone. This El Niño plan will be carried out through a whole-of-government approach,” Tiu Laurel added.

The value of fisheries produced in the third quarter likewise dropped by 8.5 percent to P50.86 billion. It accounted for 13.1 percent of the total.

Meanwhile, the poultry subsector rose by 4.9 percent during the three-month period to P79.67 billion. Poultry made up about 20 percent of the total value of production.

The PSA noted that all poultry commodities saw a year-on-year expansion in the third quarter, except for duck eggs, which dropped by 3.7 percent.

Livestock grew by 1.1 percent in the third quarter to P61.17 billion. It contributed around 15.7 percent to agricultural output during the period.

The expansion was mainly driven by the 46 percent increase in dairy production and 1.9 percent improvement for hogs. 

A “very strong” El Niño is now prevailing over the tropical Pacific and expected to reach its peak by the end of 2026. The weather event will likely affect the country until the first half of next year, according to the state weather bureau PAGASA.