Philippines: Performance of Philippine Agriculture in 4th Quarter 2019

Although performing marginally better than 2018, Philippine agriculture in 2019 continued to be a drag on an otherwise robust economy. In the last quarter of 2019, agricultural production grew just 0.4 percent, bringing the full-year average to 0.7 percent. Crop production expanded 1.0 percent during the final quarter of 2019 with paddy rice growing 4.7 percent and corn declining 8.2 percent. During the same period, livestock decreased by 8.5 percent, primarily from African Swine Fever driving hog production down by 9.8 percent. On the other hand, poultry production grew by 5.4 percent in the last quarter, as consumers swapped pork for chicken. For the entire 2019, the crops and livestock subsectors contracted 0.8 percent and 1.0 percent, respectively, while poultry gained 5.8 percent and fisheries added 1.9 percent.

Philippines: Performance of Philippine Agriculture in 4th Quarter 2019