The agriculture sector has demonstrated resilience bolstered by strategic interventions from the Department of Agriculture in the face of challenges posed by the adverse impact of El Nino on crop harvest and the stubborn African Swine Fever on hog production, particularly during the second quarter.
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the value of agricultural production fell 3.3 percent to P413.91 billion.
However, this decline was mitigated by expansions in the poultry and fishery subsectors, as well as the growing resilience of the livestock sector in the face of the lingering ASF outbreak.
The poultry subsector experienced robust growth of 8.7 percent, reaching P70.15 billion, while the fisheries sector expanded by 2.2 percent to P60.40 billion.
Together, the sub sectors contributed significantly to the overall agricultural output, counterbalancing the 8.6 percent drop in crop production, which is the largest segment at 53.2 percent of the total value.
The value of rice and corn output declined by 9.5 percent and 20.3 percent, respectively.
The livestock sector, which constitutes around 15.3 percent of total production, showed remarkable stability with only a slight contraction of 0.3 percent, bringing its value to P63.33 billion.
This stability was partly due to the resilience in swine production, which saw only a minimal 0.2 percent decline despite ongoing ASF challenges affecting several provinces.
In response to the El Niño-induced challenges, the DA has launched several key initiatives to support the agricultural sector. These measures include P14.54 billion allocated for Rice Farmers Financial Assistance, production support, farmer indemnification, and loan provisions.
Additionally, the DA earmarked P350 million for ASF vaccine procurement, pending Food and Drug Administration approval, and continues to promote biosecurity measures to control the spread of ASF.
The proactive approach aims to mitigate the impact of adverse weather conditions and strengthen the sector’s capacity to rebound.
The support measures are designed to enhance productivity and support farmers, demonstrating the DA’s commitment to sustaining agricultural growth and stability despite external challenges.
