Farm output up 1.44% in first half

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(UPDATED) Growth is buoyed by gains in the livestock, fisheries and palay subsectors

MANILA, Philippines — (UPDATED) The Philippines’ agriculture sector grew 1.44% in the first half of 2013 buoyed by gains in the livestock, fisheries and palay subsectors, the Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday, August 7.

The farm output growth in January to June was faster than the 0.93% growth recorded in the first semester of 2012.

The Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) said on Tuesday, August 6, that fisheries achieved a growth of 4.44% by June-end this year compared to that of negative 3.17% in the same period in 2012. This was due to a bump in spawning several species such as sardines and herring after a closed season was implemented by 2012-end.

The livestock subsector came as second highest gainer with 2.2% year-on-year increase from 0.52%.

Meanwhile, the poultry subsector was down at 4.39% in the first semester from 5.53% in the same period last year.

Though the crop subsector fell to 0.54% in the first half from 1.41 % in the same period a year ago, palay production’s harvest was up 1.34% to 8 million metric tons (MT) compared to last year’s 7.89 million MT, thanks to the expansion of the crop’s cultivation areas.

Read: Palay output likely inched up in H1, says DA

Other key performances in the crop subsector are as follows:

  • The volume of corn produce fell by 4.19% to 3.3 million MT in the first half of the year, as Cagayan Valley suffered moisture stress; meanwhile, farmers in the ARMM had shifted to planting cassava and palm oil
  • The volume of coconut produce dropped by 1.26% as coconut lands still recover from the aftermath of Typhoon Pablo which affected parts of the country in December 2012
  • Banana produce also posted low volume as majority of Northern Mindanao plantations also recover from the severe impact of Typhoon Pablo
  • Low copra prices caused Aurara plantations to produce low volume while scale insect infestation besieged Batangas plantations
  • Sugarcane yield lowered in Sultan Kudarat while the crop was abandoned by Mindanao and Camarines Sur for palm oil

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