DA maintains 3% growth target

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Agriculture (DA) is holding on to its growth target of three percent, Agriculture Secretary Arthur C. Yap.

In an interview during the listing yesterday of Agri Nurture Inc. (ANI) at the Philippine Stock Exchange in Ortigas, Yap expressed optimism that the agriculture sector would still be able to post a three-percent growth for the entire year, despite some recent damage from typhoons in the second quarter.

However, Yap acknowledged that attaining more than three percent may be a challenge because of climate change.

“We’re holding on to three percent… minimum three percent.. that’s a moving target. I always hope we can do better but if we do three percent, then its keeping up with the NEDA target as well and we’ll be doing our share in pumping up the Philippine economy.”

Yap warned, though, that climate change has made in increasingly difficult for farmers to draw up, much less, stick to a planting schedule.

So far, though, Yap said, the farm sector has been able to post a positive growth.

Such growth, Yap said, would hopefully continue for the first semester.