The agriculture and fisheries output in the fourth quarter of last year dropped 2.2 percent year-on-year, dragging the sector’s full-year production by the same degree, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said yesterday.
Output value for the entire 2024 hit P1.73 trillion from P1.76 trillion for the whole of 2023.
Farm performance for the whole of 2024 also fell by 2.2 percent, weakening from a 0.4 percent slight increase recorded in 2023, the PSA said.
In the fourth quarter alone, the value of agricultural production reached P483.58 bilion, down from P494.25 billion in the corresponding 2023 period.
Crops, livestock and fisheries took substantial losses, according to the PSA, prompting farmers and farm leaders to point out the devastating effects of a series of typhoons, coupled with the El Nino and La Nina weather phenomena.
The crops subsector which contributed the biggest share in the total agricultural output at 58.2 percent, declined by 3.1 percent for the quarter at P281.55 billion.
Palay production in the fourth quarter dropped by 0.1 percent, hitting only 7.23 million metric tons (MT) from fourth quarter 2023’s 7.24 million MT.
Corn registered a 1 percent drop to 1.93 million MT from 1.95 million MT.
The PSA said that except for tobacco, production declines were recorded for other crops such as mongo, sugarcane, onion, cassava, sweet potato, banana, eggplant, cacao, mango, coconut, tomato, coffee, rubber, potato, ampalaya, pineapple, cabbage, calamansi and abaca.
The crops subsector’s value dropped by 4.2 percent to P960.26 billion in 2024 from P1.002 trillion in 2023.
The PSA report also noted that the livestock subsector, which accounted for 14 percent of the total agricultural output, had a 6.2 percent decline at P67.67 billion as hog, goat and cattle production weakened during the fourth quarter of 2024.
Hog, which is the major component of the livestock subsector, experienced a 7.3 percent drop to 447.21 MT from 482.32 MT while goat production suffered a 4.08 percent decline to 20.22 MT from 21.08 MT.
Cattle’s value was reduced by 2.7 percent to 65.91 MT from 67.76 MT.
The sector’s performance could have been lower if not for the improved production of dairy by 4.8 percent and carabao by 1.8 percent during the period.
For the entire 2024, the value of livestock production declined by 4.3 percent to P252.19 billion from 2023’s P263.4 billion.
Meanwhile, the fisheries subsector with a 12.9 percent share in the total agri output, contracted by 2.1 percent to P62.55 billion owing to output contractions in several fish species
Among those that experienced lower production were mudcrab, talakitok, matangbaka, alumahan, skipjack, sapsap, tulingan, yellowfin tuna, galunggong, seaweed, squid, grouper, fimbriated sardines, tamban, tiger prawn and tilapia.
The PSA report showed that production increases recorded by vannamei, milkfish, blue crab, bisugo and bigeye tuna, among others, tempered the subsector’s production decline.
The value of fisheries production went down by 1.1 percent to P233.48 billion in 2024 from P236.1 billion in 2023.
The poultry subsector which contributed 14.8 percent to the total agricultural production was the only segment that recorded expansion.
Poultry production reached P71.81 billion in the fourth quarter of 2024, equivalent to a 6.1 percent growth.
Expansions in the value of production were recorded for duck by 0.3 percent, from 7.13 MT to 7.15 MT; chicken by 5 percent or from 534 MT to 560.74 MT; and chicken eggs by 9.8 percent or from 188.64 MT to 207.20 MT.
The only contributor that recorded a decline in the poultry subsector was duck eggs output which dropped by 3.1 percent to 13.08 MT from 13.50 MT.
For the entire 2024, the poultry subsector’s production value went up by 6.6 percent to P279.41 billion from 2023’s P262.03 billion.
Stakeholders said the decline was “expected” as the country was battered by a series of typhoons and both El Niño and La Niña last year.
Importations also dampened farmers’ enthusiasm to plant due to low prices,” said Danilo Fausto, president of the Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food Inc.
Meanwhile, Jayson Cainglet, Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura executive director, said that a decline was expected because of the weather phenomenon but mentioned that focus on rising imports should be highlighted.
“The bigger picture for the sector is the unprecedented volume of imports across commodities and yet, retail prices remain high. Imports now cover 30 percent of rice supply; imported pork and chicken between 50 to 60 percent of local consumption,” Cainglet said.
For the Federation of Free Farmers, the situation also showed the “lack of resiliency” of ther sector.
“Slow growth during normal times but vulnerable when calamities and disturbances arise,” said Raul Montemayor, FFF national manager.
Meanwhile, Leonardo Montemayor, FFF chairman, said he is “disappointed” and “worried” with the scenario as it is equivalent to a decline in farmers’ income as well as an increase in rural poverty incidence.
In a separate briefing yesterday, Department of Agriculture (DA) Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa said that total value of damage recorded in the agri sector last year was at P57.78 billion, equivalent to a volume loss of 2,178,836 MT from 1,407,893 farmers and fisherfolk.
“This is one of the biggest losses recorded in the sector if my memory serves me right. But I have to double check, looking at these numbers alone. When I held operations, this is really one of the biggest damages for a given year,” de Mesa said.
Bulk of it was due to El Niño at P15.66 billion followed by the combined effects of tropical cyclones Kristine and Leon at P13.47 billion as well as P9.89 billion from the combined effects of tropical cyclones Nika, Ofel and Pepito.
DA said that in 2023, total value of damage recorded in the agri sector was only at P24.44 billion.