[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’Region 6 posts robust agri sector in Q3 2017′ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
By Rhick Lars Vladimer Albay
[/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
February 1, 2018
[/av_textblock]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
ILOILO City – Western Visayas sustained robust growth in the agriculture, livestock and fisheries sectors during the third quarter of 2017, according to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
Palay production increased by 29.56 percent, from 609,115.00 metric tons during the same quarter in 2016 to 789,163.00 metric tons in 2017. This was attributed to the early occurrence of rain which came right in time during the vegetative and reproductive stage of palay.
Likewise, corn production also increased at 5.33 percent (from 118,699 metric tons to 125,025 metric tons), as well as sugarcane production at 30.05 percent (from 327,743.34 metric tons in Q3 2016 to 426,228.92 metric tons in Q3 2017), because of favorable weather conditions.
Mango production, however, posted a negative 2.72 percent production – dipping from 2,218.91 metric tons between July and September 2016 to 2,158.65 in the same quarter of 2017 – due to a lesser number of trees sprayed with flower inducer during the quarter. Coffee production decreased by 3.25 percent, ascribed to the lower number of berries harvested because of a change of preference of some farmers to instead engage in planting of palay.
Slight increases in the number of carabao (0.8 percent) and chicken (0.06 percent) were also noted. The total number of carabaos slaughtered in Q3 2017 was reported with a liveweight of 4,897 metric tons, while slaughtered chickens were at 24,513 metric tons during the quarter. The demand for native chicken has triggered the increase as more carabaos were slaughtered during the quarter compared to the previous year.
However, slight decreases in the number of slaughtered cattle (1.70 percent), swine (2.25 percent), goat (1.07 percent) and ducks (0.52 percent) were noted.
A decrease of 0.85 percent in commercial fishery production was noted due to weather disturbances brought about by the southwest monsoon, low pressure areas and typhoons experienced during the months of July to September. In the Province of Negros Occidental, the intensified implementation of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Active Fishing Gear Law – which prohibits the use of trawl and Danish seine fishing gear – caused some commercial fishing operators to discontinue their operation.
Also noted is the decrease of 10.34 percent in marine production because of unfavorable weather and strict implementation of local government units against the use of active gears and fine mesh nets, especially drift gillnets and fishing activities being aided with compressosr.
A decrease of 12.82 percent was also posted in inland production because of the fewer appearance and catch of freshwater species such as endeavor prawn, freshwater crab and shrimp, clams and oysters.
However, aquaculture production increased by 5.24 percent. This was attributed to higher production of milkfish in brackishwater fishponds and seaweeds. There were also more areas utilized/harvested coupled with improved growth of natural food, better quality of harvest which resulted to more market demands./PN
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
