The agriculture industry bounced back in 2017, growing by 3.

97 percent amid
improvements in most sub-sectors. This was a turnaround from the 1.4 percent decline in
2016, based on the latest report of the Philippine Statistics Authority. The growth, however,
is still short of the government’s target of five percent. For the fourth quarter alone, the
industry expanded by 2.2 percent despite the typhoons that hit the country at the tail end of
2017.

“We are happy (with the growth) but not that much because we missed our target. But I think
that is encouraging and it could only mean one thing, that we are on the right direction,”
Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Pinol said.

“We saw a more favorable climate and more favorable political support from our local
counterparts last year,” he said.

Economist Pablito Villegas, however, said the growth in the agriculture sector was not
enough to make a significant contribution to boost the economy.

“This is still considered as marginal growth given the very high poverty situation in the
countryside and in the rural areas. If agriculture is growing at that pace, it will not make any
positive contribution to this administration’s economic growth target of seven to eight
percent,” Villegas said.

“We really have to review and study our policies to have inclusiveness in the entire value
chain,” he added.

The agricultural sector grossed P1.71 trillion in 2017, up nine percent year on year.
Crops, which accounted for the bulk of total agricultural production, went up by 6.69 percent
with palay (unhusked rice) increasing by nine percent and corn harvest by 10 percent. Palay
production increased to 19.3 million metric tons (MT) while corn production went up to 7.9
million MT.

According to PSA, the increment can be attributed to the increase in area harvested in
major producing areas due to sufficient water supply during the cropping period and the
recovery from the damages caused by the series of typhoons in 2016. There was also
expansion in harvest areas. The higher yields were attributed to the availability of quality
hybrid seeds and adequate water supply during the planting months. Production gains were
also noted among the major crops particularly coconut, sugarcane, bananas, and pineapples,
among others. The crop sub-sector grossed P965 billion, up 10 percent year-on-year.
Livestock production, which comprised 18 percent of the aggregate output, inched up 1.1
percent. Gross earnings rose 13 percent to P292 billion. PSA said the increase was due to
higher demand from consumers and local meat processors and the bigger volume of disposals
of stocks in some areas. Poultry likewise increased 4.62 percent, representing 15 percent of
the total agricultural output. Despite the incident of bird flu in the third quarter, the
emergence of new commercial farms and expansion of existing ones contributed to the
growth of this sub-sector. Gross earnings increased by six percent to P215 billion. The
fisheries sub-sector, which made up 16 percent of total farm output, declined 1.73 percent in
volume but value increased by six percent to settle at P244 billion. The decrease was due to
heavy siltation in the marine cages in some areas, poor quality fingerlings and the effects of
changes in weather conditions. Average farm-gate prices went up five percent with price
gains recorded in all sub-sectors.

The Philippines needs to explore novel and sustainable food production methods to
minimize the adverse effects of climate-related challenges that affect the country, an official
said.

“Making a balanced meal accessible to all is now a complex undertaking,” said Milton
Stokes, Monsanto director for Global Health and Nutrition Outreach, in light of the long dry
spells brought on by El Niño and currently affecting major food-producing regions in the
Philippines.

“The high impact of natural hazards such as the persistent El Niño on agriculture calls for
enhanced mainstreaming of resilience-building programs and innovative farming
interventions among small-scale farmers,” he added.

Citing recent data released by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs (UN-Ocha), Stokes said that below normal rainfall is expected in more
than 60 provinces in the country from January to April 2016 and this may lead to drought
conditions. Small-scale farmers in South Cotabato, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and
Sarangani provinces, considered to be the breadbasket of Mindanao, are said to bear the brunt
of El Niño.

The Department of Agriculture also recently announced that the current El Niño
which climate experts believe is strongest since 1998 has already affected a total of 194,060
hectares of farms, resulting in P4.002 billion worth of damaged crops as of mid-February.
Such harsh climate conditions not only undermine the nation’s crop productivity but catalyze
higher commodity prices, said Stokes. He said food insecurity caused by prolonged dry spells
needs to be viewed as it interrelates with other challenges, such as changing dietary demands
from a growing population and hunger and malnutrition issues. He said Asia’s population is
expected to grow to 5.9 billion by 2050, while the Philippines still stands as one of the
vulnerable countries to malnutrition, with around 17.5 million undernourished Filipinos. For
its part, Monsanto is looking at a broad range of solutions to help farmers get better harvests
through agricultural biotechnology, which helps crops in many ways, such as drought
resistance and disease protection, leading to improved harvests.

“Applying biotechnology in agriculture has helped us develop highly effective solutions for
farmers that would not be possible through conventional plant breeding alone. As innovation
stands at the core of Monsanto, we particularly see the continued application of
biotechnology in agriculture in making our agricultural systems more sustainably
productive,” Stokes said.

Through advanced plant breeding, Monsanto is also developing new vegetable seed
varieties that farmers around the world can grow into quality and nutritious produce that
contributes to making a balanced plate accessible to everyone.

“By providing farmers with vegetables seeds that are easier to grow and more cost effective,
vegetable products get to market faster and farmers are able to meet the demands from
everyone in the produce chain including retailers, food service and consumers,” Stokes
added.

Researchers and plant breeders at Monsanto continue to use innovative technologies

to identify promising vegetable characteristics and develop new varieties to improve farm
productivity. They are also making sure that seeds grow with the necessary sensory appeal so
that people will enjoy eating more vegetables and gain the nutritional benefits that come with
increased consumption. Monsanto’s biotech vegetable seeds on the market today include
sweet corn and squash.
CROP SCIENCE 96: SPECIAL TOPICS IN

CROP SCIENCE

Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

Jack Ethan Dean Barcelona Camiador

AG4 – AGRON (TTH: 2:30 – 4:00 PM)

August 2018