Strong agriculture growth in the Philippines

Growth has slowed slightly from the 6.41 percent experienced in the previous quarter.

The sector accounts for about a fifth of the country’s economic output, according to Secretary of the Agriculture Department Arthur Yap.

The crops, livestock and particularly fisheries sub-sectors experienced growth, but the poultry sector had a downturn because of a lack of demand. Local integrators and poultry raisers voluntarily cut chicken production earlier during the year because of the drop in demand. Only chicken egg production recorded a 3.64 percent increase. The value of poultry production reached P31.29 billion (487 million euro).

Producers’ prices increased an average of 5.3 percent in the first nine months of the year. The biggest price gain was registered in the crops subsector at 9.25 percent. In the poultry subsector, prices were higher by 3.27 percent from last year’s level.

Fishery prices grew an average of 3.81 percent. However, livestock prices dropped 1.91 percent.

Meanwhile, Bureau of Agricultural Statistics director Romeo Recide said the agriculture department was closely monitoring the impact of the El Niño, or dry weather phenomenon, which started in the fourth quarter and is expected to continue until the summer months of 2007 in the western Pacific.

“The impact of the El Niño will vary from place to place and from crop to crop. Some crops will benefit from the dry spell while others will suffer,” Recide said.