AGRICULTURE output contracted in the first quarter (Q1) as crops and fisheries recorded downturns, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Wednesday.
Crops, which accounted for 55.7 percent of overall production, posted a 2.4-percent drop to P243.62 billion. Palay (unmilled rice) and corn output alone fell by 6.3 percent and 5.5 percent, the PSA said.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) blamed the impact of typhoons that hit late in 2025, damaged irrigation systems and softer farmgate prices that discouraged planting.
Fisheries production — 12.0 percent of total output — posted a 6.1-percent drop to P52.34 billion, which the DA said was a result of “persistent structural and environmental challenges.”
The department said the overall decline underscored agriculture’s vulnerability to weather and price volatility but expressed hope of a second-quarter rebound.
It noted “pockets of resilience,” specifically livestock’s 5.1-percent rise to P60.74 billion and the 7.1-percent expansion to P80.83 billion for poultry. Livestock accounted for 13.9 percent of total output while poultry took an 18.5-percent share.
“Agriculture contributes roughly nine percent to gross domestic product and accounts for one in every five jobs in the country,” the DA said.
“Yet millions of farmers and fisherfolk remain among the poorest, even as food prices heavily influence inflation, which consequently determine monetary policy and business costs,” it added.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. warned that while a second-quarter rebound was likely due to a recovery for rice, the impact of higher oil prices on key inputs such as fertilizer and potential droughts from an El Niño could weigh on second-half results.
“The outlook points to a gradual rebound, though restoring crop output — particularly rice — will be key to stabilizing both farm incomes and consumer prices,” the DA said.