Typhoon Koppu (also known as Typhoon Lando) caused death and destruction in the country in October.

But agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said production of chicken grew by 8.77 per cent and chicken eggs by 9.91 per cent.

“Gross value amounted to P47.4 billion at current prices, up by 2.59 per cent this year. Poultry’s gross value in the first nine months of the year increased by 6.32 per cent,” Mr Alcala said.

The subsector contributed 17.23 per cent to the agricultural gross output.

Production growing across agriculture and fisheries

From January to September 2015, agriculture grew by 0.65 per cent. However, gross value of production in agriculture amounted to P336 billion at current prices, 3.23 per cent lower than last year’s value.

Meanwhile, the livestock subsector, which shared 18.45 per cent in total agricultural production, grew by 3.25 per cent.

All components posted increases, with pig farming as the major contributor growing at 3.76 per cent.

Gross value of production amounted to P58.5 billion at current prices, 0.74 per cent higher from last year. The growth of the subsector was 3.92 per cent in the first three quarters of the year.

Fisheries grew by 1.80 per cent. It contributed 19.78 to total production. Production increments were recorded for milkfish, tilapia, tiger prawn, skipjack, yellowfin tuna and seaweed.

At current prices, the subsector grossed P57.7 billion, representing a 4.18 per cent improvement from the same period last year, but gross value of production from January to September this year dropped by 0.36 per cent.

Farmgate prices plunge

Average farmgate prices plunged by 3.27 per cent during the quarter. Prices were notably lower for crops, livestock and poultry subsectors. Prices of fishery products however went up by 2.33 per cent this year.

For the past nine months, prices were down by 4.27 per cent from 2014 levels.

The crops subsector, which contributed 44.54 per cent to the total agricultural production registered a 4.86 drop for the reference period.

Though production improvements were observed in banana, pineapple, mango, abaca, cassava, camote, eggplant and calamansi, palay and corn production were heavily affected by hot weather and typhoons.

At current prices, the subsector reached P172.4 billion decreasing by 8.09 per cent from the previous year’s levels. Gross value dropped by 1.69 per cent in the first three quarters of the year.