19.1-MILLION MT RICE HARVEST,
2.5% GROWTH PROJECTED 2018
By Manny Piñol
The Department of Agriculture (DA) projected a historic rice harvest in 2018 of 19.4-million metric tons, higher than 2017’s highest harvest of 19.28-MMT, until a series of typhoons capped by Super Typhoon Ompong battered the rice and corn area of Northern Luzon reducing the projected rice production by 120,000-metric tons.
In spite of the devastation valued at P26-B, farmers were able to recover and lessen the reduction in crop production.
In fact, due to the quick interventions by the DA, farmers were able to replant and could recover their losses although this would not be reflected in the 2018 production figures because their harvest would cross over to the first semester of 2019.
Even with the natural calamities, the gross value of the country’s agricultural production increased by 6.82% in 2018, up to P409-B, compared to the year 2017 in spite of a slower growth in the sector at only 0.15% by the 3rd Quarter of 2018.
Here is part of the report of the Philippine Statistics Authority:
“Poultry and Livestock posted tremendous positive growth at 5.45% and 2.15%, respectively while the typhoon battered Crops Sector posted a contraction of 3.64% compared to the three Quarters of 2017 while Fisheries posted a 2.64% contraction.
“At current prices, the gross earnings of the crops subsector amounted to PhP214.1-B which accounts for a 1.93% increase from the value in the third quarter of 2017.
“Output gains were recorded by coconut, sugarcane, banana, pineapple, coffee, mango, tobacco, abaca, tomato and rubber but the crops subsector which shared 45.58% in the agriculrural output, recorded a 3.64% decline in production mainly due to the decrease in production of staple crops of palay and corn by 5.70% and 14.83%.
“From January to September 2018, however, the gross output of the crops subsector went down by 1.38%.
“For the 3rd Quarter of 2018, the livestock subsector grew by 2.15%. the saubsector conrtributed 18.89% to the total agricultural prodution. Leading the subsector’s growth, hog raising improved production by 2.39%.
“The livestock production grossed PhP74.7-B at current prices, recording an 8.81% increase from last year’s level.”
So, is Agriculture dying simply because there was a reduction in the production projections for 2018?
Absolutely not!
It did not die during the Presidency of Benigno S. Aquino III when it registered negative performances and when the Department of Agriculture was inundated with issues of corruption which led to the filing of multiple charges against former Agriculture officials, including the dismissal of some of them.
History is replete with stories of great famines because of disasters and failures in Agriculture, like the Great Potato Famine of Ireland from 1845 to 1852 where an estimated 1.5-million people died of hunger.
But Agriculture will always recover because for as long as humanity lives, food will be needed and if there is a need for food, farmers will always produce.
Agriculture in the Philippines is recovering from years of neglect and corruption, from the over-exploitation of the fishing grounds and the destruction of Corals.
Certainly, many of the things that the Administration is implementing now in reforming Agriculture and making food production sustainable, may not be harvested during the years of the Presidency of Rody Duterte.
One thing is sure, however, the Duterte Presidency is building the foundations of an Agricultural Program that would ensure enough food for the next generation.
(Photos were downloaded from public websites)
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