Farm sector output worsened last year after livestock production declined by double-digits, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed on Wednesday, Jan. 26.

The PSA reported that the value of the Philippines’ agricultural output shrank by 1.7 percent from January to December 2021, a steeper decline compared with the 1.2 percent contraction registered in the previous year.

Agriculture, which accounts for about 10 percent of domestic economic output, saw its livestock sector goes down by 17 percent amid the prolonged outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF).

Livestock sector made up 14.3 percent of the total farm production in 2021.

For hog, the sub sector slumped by 20.8 percent, worse than the 6.7 percent drop recorded in 2020.

Moreover, the poultry sector also suffered a 0.3 percent contraction in output, but this level is at a much slower pace compared with the 3.5 percent decline seen a year earlier.

Poultry, accounting for 13.4 percent of the total, saw all its sub-sectors such as chicken, duck, and duck eggs go down, except for chicken eggs which expanded by 9.1 percent.

In 2021, crops production, which made up for more than half of the overall agricultural output, grew by 2.3 percent. Palay or unmilled rice and corn production improved by 3.5 percent and 2.1 percent, respectively.

Fisheries output, which accounted for 15.1 percent, inched up by 0.1 percent last year, a reversal of the 1.3 percent drop recorded in 2020.

In the fourth-quarter, the farm sector production grew by 0.6 percent, ending the industry’s three consecutive quarters of the decline. This is also a reversal of the 3.8 percent slump registered in the final three-months of 2020.

“Increases in the value of production were recorded for crops, poultry, and fisheries, while contraction was noted for livestock during the period,” the PSA said.

At current prices, the value of production in agriculture and fisheries reached P560.39 billion from October to November.

Agriculture Secretary William Dar said palay production registered an all-time high of 19.96 million metric tons in the last quarter, 3.4 percent more than the previous record of 19.29 million metric tons.

"We would have easily breached the 20-million ton level as Typhoon Odette damaged more than 130,000 metric tons of palay," Dar said in a statement.

"Nonetheless, it shows that we are on the right track in our continuing efforts to increase the production of our major staples, in partnership with millions of our farmers, fishers, livestock and poultry raisers, local government units, private sector, and agri-fishery industry stakeholders," he added.