Performance of Philippine Agriculture 2- January to March 09

The crops subsector recorded a 0.61 percent increase in production during the first quarter of 2009. Production of palay went up by 5.13 percent while that of corn went down by 3.39 percent. Among the commodities in the subsector, the big gainers were banana, pineapple, tobacco, cassava and tomato. Crop production represented 48.95 percent of the total agricultural output. The subsector grossed P172.7 billion at current prices, up by 11.02 percent compared to last year's record.- bureau of agricultural statistics