Agriculture posts 4.19 percent growth in Jan to Sept

Philippine agriculture expanded by 4.19 percent from January to September 2008, with the crops subsector, consisting primarily of palay and corn, emerging as the top growth driver.

In terms of value, the agriculture sector grew 22.23 percent higher than its 2007 performance for the same period, grossing P836.3 billion at current prices.

Citing data from the the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS), Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap said the crops subsector, which accounted for 47.73 percent of the total agricultural output for the January-September period, grew 6.1 percent, with palay production rising by 7.22 percent and corn production by 4.86 percent.