MANILA, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- The volume of agricultural production in the third quarter of 2023 reached 16.57 million metric tons, a year-on-year decline of 3.1 percent, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said Tuesday.
The agency attributed the annual decline in crop production volume to the yearly decreases in sugarcane, coconut, rubber, cup lump, and cassava production.
The PSA also reported a 2.1 percent year-on-year growth in fisheries production volume, which posted 1.01 million metric tons during the third quarter.
The production of seaweed, big-eyed scad, round scad, yellowfin tuna, and Indian mackerel drove the annual increase in fisheries production volume during the period.
The volume of livestock production from July to September also rose by 2.3 percent compared to the same quarter in 2022, reaching 558,150 metric tons. The top contributor to this increment was hog production, which grew by 3.3 percent annually.
The poultry production marked a 2.9 percent year-on-year increase in the third quarter, estimated at 670,480 metric tons. Chicken production, with a 69.3 percent share of the total poultry production volume, grew by 2.3 percent. ■
