The USDA Foreign Agricultural Service said that overall farm gate prices increased by an average 4.5 per cent and all farm subsectors recorded positive growth in 2007.

Livestock production expanded 2.4 per cent in 2007 compared to the previous year’s level and accounted for 13 per cent of overall Philippine output during the period.

The poultry subsector, on the other hand grew 0.3 per cent last year and accounted for 14.0 per cent of total farm output during the year.

Overall farm gate prices rose by an average 4.5 per cent with poultry posting the biggest price increment at 6.4 per cent in 2007.

Hog output improved 2.7 per cent while goat and water buffalo production expanded 2.3 and 5.02 per cent, respectively.

The crops subsector, which accounted for 47.6 per cent of total agricultural output in 2007, grew by 5.6 per cent from the previous year’s level. Rice production increased 6.0 per cent while corn output expanded 10.8 per cent, due to higher yields as a result of increased use of better quality planting seeds. Double-digit growth rates were observed in banana, pineapple, mango, mungbean, onion, cabbage and rubber production.

More information on the performance of Philippine agriculture last year is provided in the following link: http://www.bas.gov.ph/perflastyear.php.

FAS said that farm output is likely to further grow in 2008 as a result of recent policy adjustments, which provide more production and marketing support to the local agricultural sector, weather permitting.