Agriculture contracted by 0.83 percent in the third quarter of 2018. The crops and fisheries subsectors posted decreases in production. At current prices, gross value of agricultural production amounted to PhP 409.0 billion, up by 6.82 percent from the previous year’s record. For the first nine (9) months of 2018, agriculture posted a 0.15 percent increase in output.

The crops subsector which shared 45.58 percent in the total agricultural output recorded a 3.64 percent decline in production. Palay and corn production dropped by 5.70 percent and 14.83 percent, respectively. Output gains were recorded by coconut, sugarcane, banana, pineapple, coffee, mango, tobacco, abaca, tomato and rubber. At current prices, the subsector’s gross earnings amounted to PhP 214.1 billion or higher by 1.93 percent this period. From January to September 2018, the gross output of the crops subsector went down by 1.38 percent.

Production in the livestock subsector grew by 2.15 percent.It accounted for 18.89 percent of the total agricultural output. Except for carabao, all components of the subsector registered output increments. Hog production increased by 2.55 percent. The subsector grossed PhP 74.7 billion or 8.81 percent more than the previous year’s level. From January to September 2018, the livestock subsector recorded a 2.00 percent growth in production.

The poultry subsector produced 5.45 percent more output this period. It contributed 18.44 percent to the total agricultural production. Output gains were noted for chicken, chicken eggs and duck eggs. The gross value of poultry production at current prices amounted to PhP 56.1 billion, higher by 19.19 percent over the last year’s earnings. The subsector’s output grew by 5.31 percent in the last three (3) quarters of 2018.

Production in the fisheries subsector declined by 2.64 percent. It shared 17.08 percent in the total agricultural output. Production of milkfish, tiger prawn, roundscad and yellowfin tuna went down while tilapia, skipjack and seaweed posted output gains. At current prices, the gross earnings of the subsector at PhP 64.1 billion was higher by 12.22 percent from the previous year’s level. From January to September 2018, the subsector posted a 2.21 percent drop in production.

On the average, prices received by farmers went up by 7.71 percent. Prices for all the subsectors were higher this year. Increases were recorded by crops at 5.78 percent, livestock at 6.52 percent, poultry at 13.03 percent and fisheries at 15.26 percent. Farmgate prices increased by an average of 6.85 percent for the period January to September 2018.