Agri production down 1.11% in 2016 – PSA

AFTER almost a decade of consecutive growth, the farm sector contracted - sive typhoons in the last quarter of 2016 took its toll on almost all sectors of agriculture, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Friday.

The farm sector contracted by the fourth quarter alone, banking 1.41 percent in January-December on the supposed bumper harvest 2016 despite the relatively low base in the crops subsector. of 0.19 percent a year earlier as the The crops subsector, which devastating effects of Typhoons contributes 50.98 percent to agriKaren and Lawin and the prolonged culture output, contracted by 2.62 effect of El Niño depressed crops percent in October to December. For the whole year of 2016, crop said in the report “Performance of production decreased by 3.32 perPhilippine Agriculture.” cent, according to the PSA.

In the fourth quarter alone, the The subsector grossed P268.8 agriculture sector contracted at a billion at current prices, up 2.61 much faster rate of 1.11 percent percent year-on-year. from a decline of 0.94 in the same Palay production, at 7.01 milperiod in 2015. lion metric tons in the last quarter,

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel was down 3.62 percent as a result Piñol earlier expected the farm secof the damage done by “Karen” tor to grow as much as 5 percent in and “Lawin” in the Bicol Region 2016, probably by 7 to 8 percent in and Cagayan Valley.

“There were also reports of unrealized plantings in the provinces of Isabela, Misamis Oriental and Misamis Occidental as a result of inadequate irrigation water,” the PSA said.

In the Central and Eastern Visayas, excessive rainfall during the planting period reduced the area harvested to palay. There were also reports of lower use fertilizer in Central Visayas.

In the Zamboanga Peninsula rat infestation, “tungro” and red blight affected palay production.

Corn production dropped 0.15 percent to 1.73 million metric tons in the fourth quarter of 2016.

“The adverse effects of the typhoons resulted in the contraction in area harvested for corn in CAR, Cagayan Valley and Bicol Region. There were areas in Cagayan Valley that were left in fallow during the period,” the PSA noted.

Gains were attributed to banana, pineapple, abaca, peanut, cassava, sweet potato, tomato, eggplant and calamansi production.

Losses were however recorded in coconut, sugarcane, coffee, mango, tobacco, mongo, onion, cabbage and rubber production.

Livestock production expanded by 3.41 percent in the fourth quarter, and accounted for 17.85 percent of the total agriculture output. The gross value of production amounted to P74.5 billion, up 3.49 percent.

Except for goat, all subsector components registered increases and helped the subsector grew by 4.59 percent for the whole of 2016.

Accounting for 15.03 percent of total agriculture output, poultry, on the other hand, grew by 1 percent in the fourth quarter. At current prices, the subsector registered a gross output value of P51.2 billion, down 4.27 percent year-on-year.

For the whole of 2016, the subsector grew by 1.39 percent.

by 2.95 percent in the fourth quarter. It contributed 16.14 percent to total agriculture output. Only - crease of 5.37 percent. At current production amounted to P61.8 billion, down 1.59 percent.

The subsector recorded a 4.18 percent output drop for the full year.