Bukidnon topped the 82 provinces in the Philippines in terms of agriculture, fishery and forestry (AFF) production in 2023, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.
Based on constant 2018 prices, Bukidnon had the largest AFF output in 2023 amounting to P128.59 billion. This was followed by Nueva Ecija with P82.28 billion, Pangasinan with P69.25 billion, Pampanga with P67.64 billion and Isabela with P58.88 billion.
The data were based on the 2023 economic performance of the provinces and highly urbanized cities in the Philippines in terms of gross value added of AFF. The special release highlights the economic performance of all 82 provinces and 33 highly urbanized cities (HUCs).
The PSA said that in 2023, the GVA of AFF in the Philippines reached P1.80 trillion, a 1.2-percent increase from P1.78 trillion recorded in 2022.
Among the provinces and HUCs, Bukidnon remained the largest contributor to the national AFF GVA, with 7.1 percent share.
Other provinces with large contributions were Nueva Ecija with 4.6 percent; Pangasinan, 3.8 percent; Pampanga, 3.7 percent; Isabela, 3.3 percent; Negros Occidental, 3.1 percent; Davao del Norte, 2.8 percent; Batangas, 2.8 percent; Iloilo, 2.7 percent; and Quezon, 2.5 percent.
Collectively, these provinces accounted for more than a third or about 36.5 percent of the national GVA of AFF.
Majority of the provinces and HUCs posted annual growth in 2023 AFF, with Rizal province registering the fastest growth at 19.9 percent. This was followed by Negros Oriental and Batanes with 15.8 percent growth and 14.7 percent growth, respectively.
“In terms of the share of AFF to the GDP of the provinces and HUCs, AFF accounted for the largest share to the GDP of 39 provinces. AFF’s share to the GDP was highest in Maguindanao del Sur, accounting for more than half or about 53.4 percent of the province’s total economy. This was followed by Sulu and Bukidnon with AFF share of 53.2 percent and 49.8 percent to their respective GDP,” the PSA said.