Philippine Agricultural Output Falls 5% in Q3, Led by Crops and Fisheries
Key Takeaways
- •Philippine agricultural production fell 5% year on year in the third quarter of 2026, with its value declining to P389.42 billion at constant 2018 prices from P408.94 billion in the same period last year.
- •Crop production dropped 9.3% but remained the largest subsector at 50.8% of total output value, as palay posted a record 17.8% decline and corn fell 17.4%.
- •Fisheries output decreased 8.5% to P50.86 billion, while livestock grew 1.1%, with hog production up 1.9%, and poultry rose 4.9% to P79.67 billion.
- •Agriculture contributes roughly a tenth of Philippine gross domestic product and employs about a quarter of the country's workforce, making its quarterly performance closely watched.
- •The Philippines is among the world's leading rice importers, and the PSA's fourth-quarter report covering October to December will round out the sector's full-year picture.
Agricultural production in the Philippines contracted by 5% year on year in the third quarter of 2026, as weak performances from the crops and fisheries subsectors outweighed growth in livestock and poultry, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
The PSA reported that the value of agricultural production, measured at constant 2018 prices, declined to P389.42 billion in the July-to-September quarter from P408.94 billion a year earlier — a drop of P19.52 billion.
Subsector performance
Crop production fell 9.3% and remained the largest component of the sector, accounting for 50.8% of the overall value of production at P197.71 billion. Palay, or unmilled rice, posted a record decline of 17.8%, while corn fell 17.4%.
Fisheries output decreased 8.5% to P50.86 billion, representing 13.1% of the overall value of production.
Livestock production grew 1.1% and was valued at P61.17 billion, accounting for 15.7% of overall output. Within the subsector, hog production expanded 1.9%.
Poultry production rose 4.9% to P79.67 billion, accounting for 20.5% of the total value of agricultural production.
Sector context
Agriculture contributes roughly a tenth of Philippine gross domestic product and employs about a quarter of the country's workforce. Its quarterly performance is closely monitored because the sector supplies the bulk of the nation's food.
Palay and corn are the Philippines' principal staple crops, with rice serving as the country's primary food staple. The Philippines is also among the world's leading rice importers, supplementing domestic harvests with overseas purchases to meet demand.
The PSA compiles these figures quarterly, and its fourth-quarter report, covering October to December, will round out the full-year picture for the sector.
The report was written by Maria Mikaela H. Tormon and published by BusinessWorld Online on November 6, 2026: Agriculture Q3 output down 5% led by crops, fisheries – BusinessWorld Online
