go777 PH agri sector output down 2.2% in 2024

CROP LOSS A farmer plants rice in Balagtas, Bulacan. Successive typhoons that hit crop-production areas contributed to the decline in total agricultural output in 2024. —inquirer file photo

MANILA, Philippines — The El Niño phenomenon, spate of typhoons and the prevalence of animal diseases combined to bring down the output of the country’s agriculture sector by 2.2 percent in 2024.

The Philippine Statistics Authority reported that in the fourth quarter of last year alone, the value of agriculture and fisheries production declined to P483.58 billion from P494.25 billion in the same period the previous year.

This marked the third straight quarter of contraction in 2024 following a meager increase in the first quarter of last year, leading to the overall 2.2-percent decline in the vital sector’s output in 2024.

READ: Local agriculture sector upbeat even in the aftermath of ‘perfect storm’

Over the past six years, the agriculture sector posted annual production declines except in 2023, when it managed to eke out a slim gain.

In 2019, output dipped by 0.25 percent; in 2020, 1.2 percent; 2021, 1.7 percent and then 0.1 percent in 2022.

Last year, the crops sector, which accounted for 55.7 percent of overall output, posted a hefty decline of 4.2 percent.

The livestock sector, which contributed 14.6 percent, also saw its output decline by a slightly bigger 4.3 percent last year. Fisheries, meanwhile, was down 1.1 percent.

Only the poultry sector yielded a notable output increase last year of 6.6 percent.

Agriculture Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa primarily attributed the performance of the agriculture sector last year to the substantial damage caused by natural calamities and the El Niño weather phenomenon that is characterized by hotter temperatures and decreased rainfall.

“The primary reason is the damage [sustained by the sector] from El Niño, series of typhoons, La Niña … pests and diseases, volcanic eruption and other weather systems,” said De Mesa, also the spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture (DA).

The farm sector alone suffered P57.78 billion in damage in 2024, surging by 136.4 percent from P24.44 billion a year prior, based on data from the DA’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operations Center.

“If I look at the data, this is one of the biggest losses recorded in the sector,” De Mesa said. “This is one of the biggest damages recorded for a given year in our sector.”

This affected more than 1.4 million farmers and fishers nationwide last year.

The volume of production loss was pegged at 2.19 million metric tons covering almost 1 million hectares.

Of the total damage, El Niño, characterized by dry weather and decreased rainfall, was blamed for P15.66 billion in production loss or 27.1 percent of the total damage.

The combined effects of Severe Tropical Storm “Kristine” and Typhoon “Leon,” on the other hand, wiped out P13.47 billion worth of local produce. Additionally, Typhoons “Nika,” “Ofel” and “Pepito” caused P9.9 billion in damage.

Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) National Manager Raul Montemayor told the Inquirer that the decline in production output was expected given the calamities and animal diseases.

Jittering donkey carts have long been essential for aftermarket transport from southern Karachi’s wholesale bazaars, nested in narrow streets preventing regular vehicles from accessing their trove of wares.

“But it points also to the lack of resiliency of the sector. Slow growth during normal times. But vulnerable when calamities and disturbances arise,” Montemayor said.

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FFF board chair Leonardo Montemayor added that he was “very disappointed and worried because it means farmers’ incomes likely declined and rural poverty incidence increased.” INQgo777