THE National Economic and Development Authority (Neda)-Northern Mindanao has reported a slight increase in the volume of production of industrial crops, fruits, and vegetables in the region for the third quarter of 2016.
Single-digit growths were noted in the production of crops and among the big-volume vegetables, squash registered the biggest increase followed by irish potato.
While most fruit crops registered increases, calamansi production increased the most at almost 13 percent.
Estimated value of selected commodities produced reached P14 billion, up by 27 percent compared to last year’s figure.
The increase of the products’ value is attributed to tomato, pineapple, banana, and abaca, which is declared the highest gainers, registering 47.7, 32.3, 25.4, and 24.1 percent growths respectively.
For the region’s livestock and poultry production, the Neda records increase for both chicken and hogs at 7.2 and 2.2 percent respectively.
Livestock and poultry production reached 93,844 metric tons, up by 1.9 percent from that of the same period last year’s 92, 073 metric tons only.
Cattle and goat production however decreased during this quarter, while the rest of meat products posted increases with ducks, registering the highest growth at 6.6 percent, followed by chicken at 3.2 percent.
For fish production, the region posted 3.7 percent increase reaching 46,205 metric tons during this quarter due to the favorable weather and low prices of gas and oil.
The two factors encouraged operators to undertake more fishing activities, boosting the growth of commercial fishing at 4.3 percent.
The Neda added that aquaculture recorded 4.2 percent growth producing 25,592 metric tons during the third quarter of 2016 from only 24,555 metric tons during the same period of 2015.
Also, marine fish cage registered 9 percent rise as more fishcages were operated particularly in Misamis Oriental, Lanao del Norte, and Camiguin with good harvests while some operators increased their stock rate.
The increased stock of tiger prawn and bigger sizes of harvest of mudcrab resulted to production growth in brackishwater fishpond, while dispersal of tilapia fingerlings, likewise contributed to the sector’s performance.
Municipal fishery production grew by 2.3 percent, which, the Neda said, could be attributed to in-season of tamban, squid, and other species and the favorable weather which encourages more fishing activities this quarter.