DA Sec. Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. – Photo courtesy of Department of Agriculture/Facebook.
Looking at a promising forecast amid the economic downturn since the uncovering of the flood control scandal, it has been reported that the country’s agricultural production ended on a positive note toward the end of last year.
In its latest bulletin, the Department of Agriculture (DA) cited that the country’s agricultural output at the end of 2025 grew by a “respectable” 2.6 percent—said to be the highest in five years—despite suffering from inclement weather and other setbacks.
According to Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., the value of agriculture and fisheries output rose to more than ₱1.77 trillion, as recorded by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
“Buoyed by a 0.5-percent gain in the last three months of the year, crop production, which fell by 2.5 percent in October and November and accounted for 56.3 percent of total output for the period, closed out the year up 2.8 percent to ₱986.81 billion,” Laurel cited.
The fourth-quarter drop was attributed to weather-related setbacks that disrupted harvests, even as the DA noted that “the data underscored a familiar vulnerability: crops remaining as the backbone of agriculture and its weakest link (as well) when climate risks intensify.”
Poultry, what Laurel tagged as the previous year’s “bright spot,” came in with the second-biggest share of 16.1 percent, growing by 8.9 percent in the fourth quarter of last year to ₱304.71 billion, or up by 9.1 percent.
Meanwhile, livestock and fisheries also posted increases, with the former registering a 14.0 percent share and a 1.0 percent uptick to ₱246.42 billion for the full year, and the latter posting a 4.0-percent increase, accounting for a 13.6 percent share of overall output valued at ₱233.66 billion.
“The takeaway is clear: growth is holding, but climate volatility is setting the ceiling. (This is why) without faster adaptation, agriculture’s gains risk being washed out—quite literally—by the next storm,” Laurel pointed out.
In a separate statement, DA spokesman Arnel De Mesa noted that the results “surprisingly surpassed” the department’s targets and attributed this to increased funding.
De Mesa expressed optimism that growth would be sustained this year given the resources allotted for rice and high-value commercial crops, as well as the start of the Animal Competitiveness Enhancement Fund.
“So, we really just need impetus through resources, innovation, technology, plus strong [research and development] to really strengthen the agriculture sector,” he stressed.
In the meantime, Laurel Jr. underscored the fact that the government’s shift from reaction to resilience is paying off successfully.
“We’re now laying the groundwork for a smarter, climate-resilient agriculture,” he asserted, while pointing to the positive impact of more investments in cold storage, drying facilities, silos, upgraded rice processing systems, greenhouses, and smart irrigation.
