Agriculture production value dropped 0.3 percent in the third quarter of the year pulled down by the crops and fisheries sub-sectors, according to a report from the Philippine Statistics Authority.
At constant 2018 prices, the agriculture production value stood at P412.41 billion.
In the first nine months of the year, the value of production in agriculture and fisheries at constant 2018 prices registered a 0.2 percent increase.
The fisheries sub-sector recorded the biggest drop in the third quarter, 6.1 percent, contributing P58.72 billion or 14.2 percent of the total agricultural output.
Production increases were observed for seaweeds, alumahan, matangbaka, yellowfin tuna, galunggong, tilapia and sapsap.
Declines were recorded for tiger prawn, bigeye tuna, fimbriated sardines, mudcrab, squid, talakitok, bisugo, blue crab, grouper, skipjack, milkfish, frigate tuna and tamban.
At current prices, the sub-sector grossed P76.98 billion, down 0.4 percent from last year.
For the first nine months of 2023, the fisheries sub-sector’s value registered a 7 percent contraction.
The 0.4-percent decline in crops sub-sector’s value of production at constant 2018 prices followed at P222.69 billion and accounting for 54 percent of the total value of production of agriculture and fisheries.
Increases in production were registered for palay at 0.2 percent to 3.79 million metric tons (MT) from 3.78 million MT and corn, 5 percent, to 2.47 million MT from 2.35 million MT.
Other crops that experienced growth for the period are onion, tobacco, mango, coffee, cacao, pineapple, tomato and banana.
However, declines in production were recorded for sugarcane, potato, mongo, cabbage, eggplant, rubber, calamansi, abaca, ampalaya, sweet potato, cassava and coconut.
At current prices, the sub-sector grossed P265.39 billion, 10.1 percent higher than last year.
For the first nine months of 2023, the crops sub-sector’s value was up 0.9 percent.
The poultry sub-sector recorded the biggest increase in production for the period at P64.89 billion, higher by 2.9 percent at constant 2018 prices and accounted for 15.7 percent of total agricultural output.
The performance of the sub-sector was pushed by the growth in the production of chicken, chicken eggs and duck despite decline in the output duck eggs for the period.
The value of poultry production also went up by 0.4 percent to P88.46 billion at current prices.
For the first nine months of the year, the poultry sub-sector’s value also increased by 2.5 percent.
The livestock sub-sector, which contributed 16 percent or P66.11 billion of the total value of agricultural production at constant 2018 prices, experienced an increase in value at 2.5 percent.
Only hog and goat recorded increases in the sector while dairy, cattle and carabao experienced contractions.
At current prices, the value of livestock production amounted to P91.74 billion, down 2.9 percent from the same period last year.
For the first three quarters of the year, the livestock sub-sector’s production value was up by 2.4 percent.
Overall, the value of the country’s entire agricultural production at current prices also went up by 4.3 percent to P522.58 billion.
Despite the slight contraction in the value of farm production in the third quarter, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said there are still strong indications the sector could contribute positively to the economy.
“As we look at the data more closely, we could see positive signs in the rice, corn and onion harvest as well as in our production of tilapia and galunggong–all important food items for the Filipino masses,” said DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., in a statement.
Laurel added with these “positive signs,” the DA is working towards higher productivity of other key agricultural commodities through various interventions.