INCREASES in crop and fisheries yield in Central Visayas contributed to the overall growth of the country’s agricultural sector.
Department of Agriculture (DA) 7 Executive Director Eduardo Lecciones said the mango and sugarcane output of Cebu, Oriental Negros and Guimaras Island in Iloilo contributed to a growth of 4.37 percent in crops, which contributed half of the agricultural sector’s P887.6 billion gross income last year.
This despite the destruction caused by five super typhoons that hit the country between September and December last year.
“The fisheries sub-sector registered the biggest gain at 6.31 percent, accounting for 24.92 percent of the local agriculture output,” the DA report said. It also said the region’s gross income was P163.4 billion, registering a growth of 11.62 percent compared to the 2005 level.
Lecciones said the increase can be attributed to the government’s sustained efforts to assist farmers and fisherfolk in boosting their production and income. (AIV)
