Agriculture Production in the Philippines Up by 5.48%
Bannered by the record harvests of palay (unmilled rice) and corn, the crops subsector boosted the growth of the agriculture sector by 5.48 percent in the first six months of 2011.
Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala said with palay and corn registering all-time outputs of 7.58 million metric tons (MT) and 3.31 million MT, respectively, the crops subsector — which contributed more than one-half (51.8 percent) to total agricultural output — grew by 11.1 percent.
The livestock and poultry subsectors — which grew by 0.85 percent and 3.6 percent, respectively — also contributed to the improved performance of the entire agriculture sector.
The fisheries subsector, however, dipped by 2.9 percent, as commercial and municipal fish catch decreased during the first half of 2011.
In all, the gross value of agricultural output amounted to P706.4 billion at current prices, about 16 percent more than last year’s level.
Among major crops, sugarcane made a full recovery from the effects of a dry spell last year, and grew by 75.6 percent. Other good performers were tobacco (11.5 percent), rubber (6.2 percent), pineapple (3.2 percent), banana (1 percent), abaca (1.2 percent).
What is your reaction?