PHL agri production misses 3% target by 0.08% — DA

Despite falling short of the government's full-year target, the Department of Agriculture (DA) on Monday said total output improved in 2012. 

 

In a briefing, Agriculture Assistant Secretary Salvador Salacup said farm production grew 2.92 percent in 2012, up from 2.34 percent in 2011 but short of the DA's 3-percent to 5-percent full-year expectations.

 

A contraction in the fisheries sub-sector was the reason for missing the 2013 target, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala noted during the same briefing. “Ang isa pong pinaka-malaking nag-hatak sa farm output ay yung fishery sub-sector.”

 

Fisheries, which make up 18.4 percent of overall agriculture production, dipped by 0.04 percent with output at the municipal level dropping 3.9 percent and weighing on growth in aquaculture and commercial fishing.

 

Alcala, however, was confident of a rebound in the fisheries sector this year is in the offing. “Pero ngayon ay halos zero na yung decrease doon, mabilis ng naka-rebound. By the first semester a flat growth and a substantial increase by the second semester,” he noted.  

 

Better than Q3 output

 

The full-year 2012 results reflected an improvement from the revised third quarter figure of 1.97 percent, DA data showed. The entire crop subsector expanded by 4.2 percent, backed by growth in  the respective palay and corn outputs. It accounted for 51.46 percent of the total output. 

 

Palay or paddy rice production increased by 8.08 percent to 18.03 million metric tons (MT) from the 16.68 million MT in 2011. 

 

Despite hitting record harvest, the full-year palay output was slightly down from the department target of 18.46 million MT. 

 

“It’s the highest record ever. I think it's not a bad performance at all,” Alcala said. 

 

Corn production, meanwhile, grew 6.25 percent to 7.4 million MT with the notable increases in the harvest areas of Cagayan Valley, Ilocos Region, SOCCSKSARGEN, Central Luzon, and Western Visayas.   

 

Poultry production, which accounts for 14.27 percent of total agriculture output, grew 4.53 percent year-on-year.

 

The livestock subsector posted 1.1 percent output growth last year and contributed 16.07 percent to the country's agriculture production, primarily due to the substantial gains in dairy output. 

 

At the grassroots level

 

In a statement last Oct. 4, the DA noted it was keeping the 4 to 5 percent farm output target in 2012. But the Agriculture chief on Monday said the target has always been 3 to 5 percent.

 

Alacala has no doubt meeting the target this year almost a done thing despite farm output expanding  below 3 percent in the past two years. “Sa pag-a-analyze po kasi namin sa general output nung fisheries sub-sector yun ang nag-drag sa agrikultura. 

 

“Specialized po yung treatment namin for this sub-sector. If this sub-sector registers a positive growth, we could have hit over 4 percent,” he added. 

 

On paddy rice, Alcala noted, “We are studying various ways and keeping in touch at the grassroots level to achieve our targets. “Manalig po tayo na lahat ng paraan ay gagawin namin,” he said. — KG/VS, GMA News