During the third quarter of this year, our economy proved again to be Asia’ fastest-growing at 7.1 percent—higher than China’s 6.7 percent, Vietnam’s 6.4 percent, Indonesia’s 5.0 percent and Malaysia’s 4.3 percent.
This strong performance was mostly propped by sustained public spending in infrastructure and private construction, as the services and industry sectors continued their rise—6.9 percent and 8.6 percent, respectively.
However, what is most noteworthy of this recent stellar economic performance is that our agricultural sector grew by close to 3 percent, finally reversing a decline that lasted five consecutive quarters. At current prices, agriculture’s gross value amounted to P360.9 billion, up 7.33 percent from last year.
Recent Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data shows higher output in the crops, livestock and poultry subsectors, marking a recovery from the damage wrought by El Niño and typhoons in past years.
Hopefully, such an upward trend continues, considering improved Philippine-China relations have reopened the big Chinese market, particularly for Philippine bananas and pineapple.
Mango exports could also rise as an amended agreement between the Philippines and Australia was recently signed, allowing the rest of the country—except Palawan—to export the prized fruit. Previously, only mangoes from Guimaras and Davao Del Sur were allowed in Australia.
Meanwhile, a report from the United Nations’ Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS) said that weather conditions during the wet season (July-August) for the Philippines and for Southeast Asia in general have been generally good for ramping up rice production, bolstering further the hopes of our agriculture’s continuous rise—at least for next year.
Shortages in key agricultural products, however, looms for 2017, as the Department of Agriculture (DA) recently cancelled all import permits for meat and plant products—except for rice and corn—to curb rampant technical smuggling.
It appears that even with the enactment of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act, sponsored by Sen. Juan Edgardo M. Angara, much more political will needs to be mustered to finally weed out agricultural smugglers and prevent them for wreaking any more havoc on our economy.
Hopefully, the DA makes good on its assurances that legitimate importers will be able to get their new import permits quickly—and prosecute those engaged in illegitimate trade. Any delay not only dampens the agricultural sector’s growth; it will also lengthen the opportunity for corruption to once again rear its head.
E-mail: angara.ed@gmail.com.