Farm output down 5% in Q3 as El Niño sets in

Agricultural and fisheries output declined 5% by value year-on-year in the third quarter, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said, reversing the year-earlier 3% growth, as crops and fisheries suffered setbacks due to high fuel and fertilizer costs and weather disruptions.

The value of production for agriculture and fisheries at constant 2018 prices amounted to P389.42 billion, against P408.94 billion a year earlier.

“Meanwhile, the values of livestock and poultry production increased,” the PSA said.

Output retreated from the second quarter’s 2.9% growth.

In a statement, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said that the stronger-performing sectors (livestock and poultry) provided a “foundation for recovery” as the DA prepares farmers and fisherfolk for El Niño.

Former Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar has said that the third quarter has always been the most challenging period for production in most calendar years.

Mr. Dar said that erratic weather patterns, the habagat (southwest monsoon), and flooding all affect production in most years, while rising fuel and fertilizer prices due to the Middle East war added to the pressure on agriculture in general.

Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) Executive Director Jayson H. Cainglet said inadequate government support and import-oriented policies were discouraging to farmers making production decisions.

Crops

Crop output decreased 9.3% to P197.71 billion. The subsector accounted for 50.8% of the value of agricultural production. A year earlier, crop output had risen 3% to P218 billion.

Crop production had declined 2.4% in the first quarter and rose 1.6% in the second. In the first nine months, crop output declined 3.1%, reversing the 5% growth from a year earlier.

Record declines were posted by palay, or unmilled rice (minus 17.8%, against a year-earlier 12.6% gain). The PSA said the third quarter reading reversed a 5.7% increase in the three months to June.

Corn output declined 17.4%, deepening the year-earlier decline of 2.9%. In the second quarter, corn output had risen 0.8% year-on-year.

Other crops posting sharp declines were sugarcane (minus 48.4%), onion (minus 32.6%), and abaca (minus 11.6%).

Also declining in the third quarter were cabbage (minus 9.3%), cassava (minus 5.3%), sweet potato (minus 4.6%), potato (minus 4.2%), banana (minus 2.2%), coffee (minus 1.5%) and mongo, or mung bean (minus 0.4%).

Ampalaya (bitter gourd) output rose 43.5%, reversing the year-earlier decline of 5.1% and far outstripping the second quarter rise of 2.2% by value.

Also posting production growth were tobacco (26.7%), cacao (8.9%), tomato (4.3%), eggplant (2.2%), coconut (1.2%), rubber (0.8%), mango (0.7%), calamansi (0.59%), pineapple (0.58%) and other crops (9.7%).

“Mr. Dar said via Viber that rice and corn weighed heavily on the quarter’s results. — Maria Mikaela H. Tormon