Agriculture output likely rose 2.5 percent in the last quarter of 2019 despite natural and man-made challenges.
Agriculture Secretary William Dar said Friday the country’s agri-fishery sector was expected to grow modestly to 2.5 percent to 3 percent in the fourth quarter of 2019, significantly up from the 1.8-percent expansion year-on-year.
“We are hopeful that favorable conditions were sustained in the fourth quarter, allowing us to attain a full-year growth target of at least 2 percent,” Dar said.
The farm sector just grew 0.64 percent in the first three months of 2019 and contracted to -1.23 percent in the second quarter, mainly due to the adverse effects of El Niño on the crops sub-sector.
Agriculture recovered in the third quarter when it registered a faster-than-expected expansion of 2.87 percent.
“Our prompt implementation of decisive measures to arrest falling prices of palay, as well as imposition of strict biosecurity and quarantine measures to manage, control and contain ASF were the key factors in upturning the crops and hog subsectors, respectively,” said Dar.
Early warning announcements have also helped minimize losses from typhoons. Dar cited the agriculture sector was able to save P12 billion worth of crops in Luzon and the Visayas due to early preparations made by the Department and local government units prior to Typhoon Tisoy’s landfall.
These included P11.6 billion worth of palay harvested from 157,000 hectares and P109 million worth of corn crops planted in 2,000 hectares.
“The Department of Agriculture was able to meet head-on and temper the effects of both man-made and natural calamities through the strong cooperation with LGUs, agri-fishery industry leaders, the academe, farmers’ and fishers’ groups,” Dar said.
“We remained firm and focused on our vision of a food-secure Philippines with prosperous farmers and fishers, advocating our battlecry ‘Masaganang ani at mataas na kita’,” he added.
The department proposed a P71.8-billion budget in 2020, 12 percent higher than P64 billion in 2019.