The Department of Agriculture said today to counter the negative effects of El Niño and the turbulent typhoons like the ones that wreaked havoc in the country, it will give more attention to livestock and poultry production since these are the least affected by inclement weather.
Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said, livestock production during the fourth quarter expanded by 3.72 percent. It contributed 17.07 percent to total agricultural output.
“All components of the subsector recorded increases during the last quarter, when the other subsectors’ production dipped, that is why we will focus on this and other sectors that are not as prone to the effects of inclement weather,” Alcala said.
Hog, the major contributor to the subsector’s production, recorded a 4.21 percent growth in output.
At current prices, the subsector’s gross value of output amounted to P72.1 billion which was 1.54 percent higher than last year’s fourth quarter record.
From January to December 2015, production in the subsector increased by 3.83 percent.
Production in the poultry subsector went up by 4.17 percent in the fourth quarter. It shared 14.72 percent in the total agricultural production.
Except for duck, all components of the subsector posted output increases. Chicken production which expanded by 3.58 percent boosted the subsector’s growth.
Gross value of output amounted to P53.4 billion at current prices, representing an increase of 2.98 percent from last year’s record. For 2015, the subsector’s output expanded by 5.74 percent.
“Agriculture posted a 0.96 percent contraction in output in the fourth quarter of 2015. The sector’s performance was negatively affected by the long dry spell and damages caused by Typhoon Lando. In particular, the crops and fisheries subsectors recorded lower production for the quarter,” the Secretary said.
He added, at current prices, gross value of production amounted to P448.0 billion or 6.64 percent lower than last year’s level. On an annual basis, agricultural production grew by 0.11 percent.
The crops subsector, which accounted for 51.83 percent of the total agricultural production during the quarter, recorded a 2.69 percent decline in output.
Palay and corn farms which suffered the most from the long dry spell and Typhoon “Lando” declined by 3.78 percent and 6.04 percent, respectively.
However, gains in production, were noted in coconut, banana, pineapple, coffee, tobacco, abaca, peanut, mongo, cassava and calamansi. The subsector grossed P259.7 billion at current prices, down by 11.05 percent from last year’s record. For the whole year of 2015, production in crops subsector dropped by 1.95 percent.
The fishery subsector’s production dipped by 4.28 percent in the last quarter of 2015. It contributed 16.38 percent to the total agricultural output.
Tilapia and seaweed production went up by 4.47 percent and 2.45 percent, respectively, but production declines were noted to the rest of fisheries products.
The subsector grossed P62.8 billion at current prices, or a decline of 3.45 percent from the previous year’s record. For the period January to December 2015, the subsector recorded a 1.96 percent drop in production.
Farmgate prices went down by an average of 5.74 percent during the reference quarter. The crops, livestock and poultry subsectors recorded price declines from last year’s price quotations.
On the average, prices in the fisheries subsector increased. On an annual basis, farmgate prices in 2015 went down by an average of 4.78 percent. # Source - (Ian Go, DA-OSEC)/www.da.gov.ph
No comments:
Post a Comment