Crop growth projection lovered

The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Wednesday lowered its palay growth projection to 3 to 3.5 percent for the year from its earlier projection of 5.0 percent due to the onslaught of typhoons “Pedring” and “Quiel” that hit major rice producing provinces in the country.
Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, at the sidelines of the Joint Regional Executive Directors-Commodity Program Coordinators meeting held at Marco Polo Hotel here, said typhoon Pedring alone has affected at least 77,864 hectares of land planted to rice, corn and other high-value cash crops with volume and value of production loss estimated at some 45,607 metric tons (MTs) and P725.11 million, respectively.
Of the total affected areas, some 67,627 hectares were rice land while 10,127 hectares were planted to corn and 110 hectares covered plantations for high-value crops.
Alcala, however, said agriculture grew by 4.28 percent in the first nine months of 2011.
Crop production recorded a 9.04 percent increase this year. It contributed 50.07 percent to the total agricultural output. Palay and corn production recorded increments of 15.96 percent each.
Other gainers during the period included sugarcane, banana, pineapple and cassava. At current prices, gross value of crop production reached P575.2 billion or 26.16 percent more than last year’s record.
Meanwhile, price cuts were noted for livestock products at an average of 1.52 percent. Poultry prices dropped by an average of 1.31 percent. [PNA]