TOBACCO, coffee, and coconut production rose in the second quarter, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), adding that sugarcane and abaca output dropped.
In a quarterly bulletin, the PSA said the output of dried tobacco leaf increased 1.9% to 37.05 thousand metric tons (MT).
Burley tobacco accounted for 43.8% of the total, followed by Virginia tobacco at 40.8% and native tobacco 15.4%.
The Ilocos Region was the leading tobacco producer with 24.62 thousand MT or 66.4% of the total.
“The area planted to all tobacco varieties from January to June 2023 increased to 27 thousand hectares or 0.7%,” the PSA said.
In the three months to June period, coffee production was 2.77 thousand MT, up 1.8%.
Robusta was the most produced type of coffee at 1.63 thousand MT or 58.7% of the total.
The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao was the top coffee producer in the second quarter with 710.23 MT or 25.6% of the total.
The area planted to all types of coffee dipped 0.1% to 111.19 thousand hectares.
Output of coconut, including the husk, rose 1.5% to 3.41 million MT during the period.
Davao Region was the top producer with 461.07 thousand MT or 13.5% of the total.
“The area planted to coconut from January to June 2023 was 3.62 million hectares, which indicates an increase of 0.6% from (a year earlier),” the PSA said.
On the other hand, production of sugarcane and abaca dropped in the second quarter.
The PSA said the sugarcane produced during the period declined 11.3% to 2.83 million MT.
“Centrifugal sugar accounted for 95.6% (of sugar production),” the PSA said.
Western Visayas produced the most sugarcane with 1.34 million MT or 47.2% of the total.
The sugarcane harvest area was 212.34 thousand hectares, down 12.6%.
Abaca production dropped 1.8% to 17.64 thousand MT.
Bicol Region was the top producer of abaca with 5.99 thousand MT or 33.9% of the total.
“From January to June 2023, area planted to abaca was 136.96 thousand hectares. This indicates an increase of 7.1% from the 127.82 thousand hectares area planted in the same period of 2022,” the PSA said. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera
