STEPS must be undertaken to improve the agriculture sector in the Cordillera Region.

The National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) in the region asserted the need to add to the value of the crops produced in the region as post-production processing of agricultural goods like corn, coffee, high-value vegetables, and other crops must be done to increase its value and farmer income which will ultimately lead to increased contribution of the sector to the over-all gross regional domestic product (GDRP).

The Neda said the agriculture sector needs further boost after incurring a 5.3 percent decline in its production in 2018 despite the over 40 percent workers in the region being employed by the sector.

In an earlier report, the region had a 7.3 percent growth last year with an estimated GRDP at P164.9 billion which saw increases in production from the industry at 9.2% and services sector at 7.5 percent.

The Philippine Statistics Authority in the Cordillera said that despite the decline, the agriculture sector is not large enough to affect the overall growth of the region’s economy. The over P12 billion produced in the agriculture sector is only 7.3% of the region’s economy which is largely led by the industry sector at 53%.

Department of Agriculture added super typhoons Ompong and Rosita adversely affected the sector and is partially to blame for its decline in production.

The Department of Trade and Industry in the region added that they continue to promote and foster the growth of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

Cordillera is an agri-based region, DTI-CAR regional director Myrna Pablo shared, but added the region must move beyond merely supplying raw materials.

“We must add value to our production,” she stated. DA-CAR also advised against the production of the same crops in a given area to avoid overproduction and unstable prices. (SunStar Baguio)