Agriculture production rose 2.2 percent in the fourth quarter, bringing the full-year growth to 3.95 percent on record rice production, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority show.
The 2017 growth of 3.95 percent was an improvement from a 1.4-percent contraction registered in 2016. Agriculture and fisheries account for about a tenth of the country’s gross domestic product whose full-year data will be released on Jan. 23.
Gross value of agriculture production hit P1.71 trillion at current prices in 2017, up from P1.57 trillion in 2016, according to the statistics agency.
The PSA said the crops, livestock and poultry sub-sectors grew last year, while the fisheries sub-sector declined.
Crops production increased 6.7 percent in 2017, supported by a 9.4-percent growth in rice harvests and 9.6-percent gain in corn output.
Rice harvests reached a record 19.28 million metric tons in 2017, up from 17.63 million MT in 2016. Corn output also increased to 7.9 million MT from 7.2 million MT.
Livestock output rose 1.1 percent last year, while the poultry sector expanded 4.6 percent. The fisheries sector sank 1.7 percent.
The PSA said the crops, livestock and poultry sub-sectors also grew in the fourth quarter, while the fisheries sub-sector declined.
“At current prices, gross value of agricultural production amounted to P500.4 billion [in the fourth quarter], up by 9.27 percent from the previous year’s record,” the agency said.
The crops sub-sector recorded a 2.66-percent increase in production and contributed 51.2 percent to the total agricultural output in the fourth quarter.
Palay production rose 4.37 percent while that of corn declined 5.73 percent in October to December.
The agency noted higher production of coconut, sugarcane, banana, pineapple, peanut, cassava, sweet potato, eggplant and rubber in the fourth quarter.
The livestock sub-sector gained 1.8 percent in the fourth quarter of 2017, with hog production increasing 2.75 percent.
Poultry production expanded 4.73 percent in the quarter, with chicken output growing 4.3 percent.
The fisheries sub-sector, however, registered a 1.2-percent reduction in output in the fourth quarter. Lower production levels were recorded for tiger prawn, roundscad and skipjack.
