Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. on Wednesday said the strong recovery of the agriculture sector in the second quarter reflects the effectiveness of government interventions and affirms the Department of Agriculture’s policies and direction for long-term development.

“We know that we still have to do a lot more to realize the vision of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for a modern agricultural sector, where farmers and fisherfolk reap the full benefits of their hard work. But this result—and that of the first quarter—is a clear indication that we are on the right track,” Tiu Laurel said.

The value of agriculture and fisheries production rose 5.7 percent year-on-year in the second quarter to P437.53 billion, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.

The growth is a sharp reversal of the 3.2 percent contraction in the same period last year, driven mainly by improved weather and stronger crop and poultry output.

Crops remained the largest contributor, with output valued at P244.90 billion—up 11.3 percent. Palay and corn posted double-digit growth of 13.9 percent and 27.3 percent, respectively. Poultry also showed strength, growing 7.0 percent to P75.07 billion.

In contrast, livestock output declined by 5.9 percent to P59.60 billion, weighed down by a 7.5 percent drop in hog production. Fisheries also fell 4.2 percent to P57.96 billion.

Tiu Laurel emphasized that ongoing reforms—including changes to the Rice Tariffication Law, disease control programs, and investments in infrastructure, logistics, and R&D—are essential to sustain growth.

Stronger farm sector performance typically bodes well for the broader economy. In the first quarter, when GDP grew 5.4 percent, agriculture and fisheries expanded by 2.2 percent and contributed 8.3 percent to overall economic growth. ### (Infographic by PSA)