Manya Rathore
Research expert covering India
Agriculture in the Philippines - statistics & facts
With over five million hectares of arable land, the agriculture, forestry, and fishing industry is a crucial contributor to the Philippine economy. The sector produces primary crops such as palay or rice, coconut, and sugarcane, as well as livestock and fishery products. The sector has also been a steady source of employment for millions of Filipinos, especially in rural areas. However, the country’s exposure to natural disasters has since affected the industry’s growth, topped with poor infrastructure, an inefficient agricultural supply chain, and increasing equipment costs.
Crop production leads agriculture sector
Due to its terrain and tropical climate condition, farming, especially crop production, has been the largest agricultural sub-sector in the Philippines. In 2023, this sub-sector produced over a trillion Philippine pesos worth of crops, or about 57 percent of the total production value of the agricultural sector in that year. Palay, or rice, banana, corn, and coconut, were the sector’s most valuable produce in 2023, while sugarcane led in terms of production volume.Fishing subsector reflects slow growth
Recording its lowest gross value added since 2016, fishing and aquaculture posted a declining GDP contribution, or about 15 percent of the total industry. The fishing sector is divided into three categories: commercial, municipal, and aquaculture. In 2024, aquaculture accounted for the highest production volume, which was estimated at 2.2 million metric tons. Meanwhile, commercial fishing produced the lowest production volume since its peak in 2016, with municipal fishing producing just over a million metric tons. Seaweed, milkfish, and tilapia are the sector’s leading species captured and cultivated, while tuna was the leading export.State of livestock and poultry
Producing over five million metric tons of livestock and poultry products in 2024, this subsector has shown minimal growth since 2021. Between the two subsectors, the poultry industry has generated a higher gross value added (GVA) of approximately 207 billion Philippine pesos in 2024. Meanwhile, the GVA of the livestock sector has slowed down since 2021. Chicken and hog remain the sector’s leading commodities produced in 2023.Challenges in the agriculture sector
The slow growth of the agricultural sector in the Philippines has been attributed to the rampant conversion of arable lands to residential subdivisions, industrial parks, and resorts. Of the 30 million hectares of land area, only one-third is used for agricultural activities. Moreover, the country’s geographical location makes it vulnerable to natural disasters such as flooding and drought, further contributing to the decrease in production. Investments in technology and innovation are necessary steps to diversify and transform the country’s agricultural output, along with increased production support and improved policies that prioritize the needs of farmers.Â
