Farm output value dips by 5% in 3Q 2026

The value of the country’s agricultural and fisheries production shrank to P389.42 billion in the third quarter of 2026, marking a 5% decline from the same period last year at constant 2018 prices, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

Data showed that crop production was valued at P19.71 billion, a 9.3% decrease year-on-year.

Meanwhile, the values of palay and corn production hit double-digit declines of 17.8% and 17.4%, respectively.

Further, the value of fisheries production was down by 8.5% to P50.86 billion.

Despite the decline in the values of crop and fisheries production, PSA noted increases in the values of livestock and poultry production.

The value of livestock production reached P61.17 billion, which is a 1.1% year-on-year uptick.

Poultry production grew 4.9% year-on-year in the third quarter of 2026, reaching a value of P79.67 billion.

Volume

In terms of production volume, there was a significant decline in crop production in the third quarter of the year.

Crop production slid to 14.05 million metric tons (MT) from July to September 2026. This is a 7.8% decrease from the 15.25 million MT recorded in the same quarter last year.

The decline was driven by the decreased production of palay, corn, sugarcane, banana, and cassava, the PSA said.

Fisheries production also dropped to 1.8% to 886.56 thousand MT, a slight decline from the 902.87 thousand MT posted in the same quarter of 2025.

The decline can be attributed to the annual decreases in skipjack (gulyasan), bali sardinella (tamban), and tilapia.

The decrease in agriculture and fisheries production can be due to various reasons, the Department of Agriculture said.

"El Niño, lower planting intention dahil sa taas ng fertilizer, lower fertilization, and Habagat all contributed to lower output," said Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. in a message to GMA News Online.

Meanwhile, livestock production rose to 522.94 thousand MT in the third quarter of 2026, a 1.6% rise from 514.48 thousand MT production level in the same period last year.

Likewise, poultry production expanded by 4.8% to 823.14 thousand MT year-on-year. —KG, GMA News