Livestock, poultry output up in 2Q; crop, fish production decline

The decline in the volume of crops and fish produced in the second quarter was tempered by higher output of the livestock and poultry sectors, aiding the farm sector growth, data from the Philippine Statistic Authority showed.

Agriculture, forestry and fishery grew by 0.2 percent in the second quarter.

Crops production was recorded at 17.9 million metric tons, down 0.9 percent compared with the same period of the previous year at 18.1 million metric tons. The decline crop output was mainly brought about by decreases in the production of corn, sugarcane, rubber, and sweet potato. 

Livestock production from April to June was estimated at 540,460 metric tons, up 0.6 percent from 537,370 metric tons. The top contributor was hog production, which grew by 1.0 percent. 

Poultry production, on the other hand, increased 1.5 percent in the second quarter to 680,500 metric tons as chicken ouput rose 3.2 percent. Chicken production accounted for 70.2 percent of the sector’s output.
Fish production, meantime, dropped 11 percent to 1.08 million metric tons.  The decline in the volume of fisheries production during the period was mainly driven by lower output of skipjack, bangus, seaweed, tunsoy and yellowfin tuna.