A DROP in the production and yield of major crops in the region has been observed by the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) in Northern Mindanao for the second quarter of 2016.
Records show that the region's palay production in the second quarter of this year decreased by 19.7 percent to only 99,644 metric tons.
According to Neda, the decrease is due to output declines in the provinces of Bukidnon, Camiguin, Misamis Oriental, and Misamis Occidental.
The negative outputs of the four provinces were reportedly due to inadequate irrigation water and rainfall, while some rain-fed areas were damaged during vegetative stage, and there were no planting in upland areas due to the dry spell experienced earlier this year.
With the decrease in production, the region's average yield per hectare dropped by 4.37 percent to 3.93 metric tons per hectare from 4.11 metric tons per hectare in the same period last year.
The declining yield, Neda said, was most notable in Bukidnon at -11.9 percent followed by Misamis Occidental at -3.9 percent and Camiguin at -3.2 percent.
As production decreased, the value of palay production also went down by 14 percent to only P1.974 billion even as the average farm gate price rose to P19.81 per kilogram in the second quarter of 2016 from P18.57/kilo in the same period of 2015.
The region also recorded a 43 percent sufficiency in the second quarter this year, down from 55 percent in the same period last year.
The total stock of rice and palay as of July 1, 206 was placed at 1,952,203 bags, which is 5.8 percent lower than last year's figure.
Based on the region's daily rice consumption requirement which is at 27,780 bags/day, the stock was estimated to last for 70 days.
Meanwhile, the corn production and yield was also down by about 50 percent during the second quarter of this year, with only 21,220 metric tons produced.
Only Misamis Occidental did not post reductions for both white and yellow corn varieties while a notable 64 percent decrease in corn production in Bukidnon was mainly attributed to lesser area planted due to El Niño.
Neda said the unfavorable white corn production resulted to 39 percent drop in production value to only P179M while yellow corn also went down by 63 percent to only P102M.
Insufficient rainfall and the shifting of white and yellow corn also affected the corn production western municipalities of Misamis Oriental, including Gingoog and Magsaysay while Lanao del Norte's decline in production was also attributed to dry spell.
Also the nut production went down by almost six percent to only 414 million nuts, as all provinces posted decreases led by Bukidnon at 23 percent
A similar trend was noted in green nut production by almost 9 percent following decreases in Misamis Oriental and Bukidnon- the region's top green nut producers.
The volume of coconut export commodities this quarter decreased by 18.79 percent to 115,887 metric tons as exports of some major coco-based commodities, declined during the period.
The decline in outputs resulted to a decrease in the total export sales by almost 15 percent.