The agriculture and fisheries sector, which accounts for about a tenth of the gross domestic product, sank 1.3 percent in the second quarter
of 2023 from a year ago, the Philippine Statistics Authority said Wednesday.
“This was attributed to the reduction in the value of fisheries production. Meanwhile, crops, livestock and poultry posted increments
in the value of production,” the PSA said in a statement. Fisheries output declined 14.2 percent in the April to June quarter.
“All fish species, except tiger prawn (sugpo) and roundscad (galunggong) posted contractions in the second quarter,” the PSA said.
Crop production grew 1.2 percent in the second quarter and accounted for 56.3 percent of the total value of production in agriculture and
fisheries.
Rice production increased 1.1 percent, while corn output declined 0.8 percent. Livestock, representing 14.8 percent of the sector’s total value of production, expanded 0.7 percent. Hog, the major contributor to the value of livestock production, increased 1.0 percent.
Poultry production rose 1.5 percent and accounted for 15.1 percent of the total. Chicken and duck logged improvements in the April to June
quarter.
“At current prices, the value of production in agriculture and fisheries amounted to P551.50 billion or an annual growth of 3.4
percent,” the PSA said.