SEVERAL farmer groups are disheartened by the continued decline in agricultural production in the Philippines.
This follows the release of data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) regarding agricultural and fisheries output for the agriculture sector, on Wednesday, August 7.
Agricultural and fisheries output dropped by 3.3% in the 2nd Quarter of 2024.
According to PSA data, the value of production dropped from P427 billion in the second quarter of 2023 to P413 billion in the same period in 2024.
The PSA explained that the yield of rice and corn decreased due to severe drought.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) claimed that the damage could have been more significant if the government had not addressed it.
‘‘El Niño drove the decline in our crops sub-sector, particularly in rice, corn, and sugarcane.’’
‘‘If the mitigating measures, including support measures during the El Niño episode, had not been implemented, the losses would have been greater,’’ according to Asec. Arnel de Mesa, Spokesperson, DA.
Additionally, the relentless spread of African Swine Fever or ASF affected livestock production, which has severely impacted the industry.
While production of chicken and fish increased, it’s still not enough to raise the overall agricultural production.
The DA is confident that despite this, the food supply in the country will remain stable due to the arrival of large quantities of imported rice.
‘‘As of now, almost 2.5 million metric tons have arrived, with the last batch arriving in July. The overall import volume is 150,000 metric tons. As of August 1, 150,000 metric tons have entered the country, totaling 2.49 million metric tons,’’ Asec. De Mesa added.
FFF: Rice production expected to decline further until Q3 2024
However, the Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) believes that agricultural production in the Philippines will continue to decline.
According to FFF, many farmers are losing their motivation to plant, because they are not being prioritized by the government.
‘‘When we rely too much on imports, our market gets flooded with imports, and farmers lose motivation. They will still plant, but their output will be low, leading to increased shortages,’’ according to Raul Montemayor, National Manager, FFF.
This is expected to cause a significant blow to the Philippines.
‘‘The third quarter is traditionally the weakest period for our harvest because crops like rice are usually planted in mid-June and harvested in September, October, and November.
From June to September, we are still in the planting period, and there is not much harvest, leading to shortages typically addressed by importations,’’ Montemayor added.
Nevertheless, the Department of Agriculture hopes that agricultural production will increase as they prepare measures, especially during La Niña, which severely affects agriculture.
‘‘We are hoping production will pick up, but of course, it will also depend on the impact of La Niña towards the end of the year or in the fourth quarter,” Asec. De Mesa added.
However, farmer groups are calling for more support for the sector, as not everyone in the sector receives benefits.
