Agriculture reels from El Niño-induced dry spell

The agriculture sector had a difficult first six months this year, its growth slowed by 2.59 percent because of the El Niño-induced dry spell. Despite the sector’s slowdown, farmers and fishers were better off because of higher prices they got for their products during the first six months, with farm gate prices registering an average increase of 4.45 percent from what they were paid for their output in the same period last year, the Agriculture Department said in a statement Monday. The total value of agriculture production was P607.8 billion at current prices, or 1.75 percent higher than last year’s output. The crops subsector accounted for P312.7 billion, fisheries P112.3 billion, livestock P104.9 billion, and poultry P77.9 billion. Crops, which contribute roughly half or 45 percent of total agriculture output, suffered the most from the dry spell as it dipped by 6.72 percent. Crops, the department said. Production of palay or unmilled rice, the country’s major staple, decreased by 10.24 percent to 6.62 million metric tons (MT) during the first six months from 7.37 million MT a year earlier. Likewise, corn harvest dipped by 24.95 percent to 2.42 million MT, from 3.22 million MT. Sugarcane yield was also down by 21.86 percent. The fisheries subsector — comprising 28 percent of total agriculture production — contracted by 0.11 percent. The minimal growth the agriculture sector is consistent with a study by the University of Asia and the Pacific's Center for Food and Agribusiness (UA&P-CFA), which showed that the country's farm output this year might grow at a very slow pace. The study considered poultry, crops, livestock, and aquaculture as major contributors to the sector’s minimal growth for the year. "After the El Niño-La Niña tandem in 2010, agriculture production could be better in 2011. Farm production is projected to post as much as 3 percent to 4 percent growth in 2011," said Rolando Dy, executive director of the UA&P-CFA. On a brighter note, the livestock and poultry subsectors served as the agriculture’s saving grace, posting positive Growth at 2.11percent and 2.46 percent, respectively, the department said. The livestock industry contributes 27 percent to total agriculture production. —Carmela Lapeña/VS, GMANews.TV