The Department of Agriculture (DA) adjusted downward its growth projection for the country’s agricultural production this year to 1 percent from the previous 2 percent due to the continuing decline of the livestock sector.
This after the Philippine Statistics Authority announced this week that agriculture production slumped 2.6 percent in the third quarter of the year, dragged by the crops, livestock and fisheries subsectors. Livestock alone fell 15.2 percent during the quarter, double the decline it registered in the same period in 2020.
Last year, the local agriculture performance dropped 1.2 percent.
In a virtual briefing yesterday, DA Undersecretary Fermin Adriano, said re-planting efforts of farmers affected by recent typhoons as well as the expected heightened demand for agricultural goods for the current quarter will contribute to the growth.
Adriano said vegetable growers in the northern parts of the country have re-planted in preparation for the expected upswing in demand due to the Christmas season.
Adriano said apart from the crops sector, poultry is also expected to grow.
Adriano said the crops subsector is pulling up the growth including rice which recorded growth of more than 6 percent. Livestock and corn which were badly hit by successive typhoons in the north, are posting double-digit growth rates.
The DA said the effects of the interventions undertaken to revive the livestock sector from the effects of African swine fever to hogs will be felt by early next year.
DA said there 29,000 breeding sow pigs which on average can bear 10 to 12 piglets each have been added to the hog population.
