A. All Commodities

The country’s PPI for agriculture slowed down further in the second quarter of 2023

At the national level, the annual growth rate of the PPI for agriculture in the second quarter of 2023 slowed down further to 12.0 percent from its annual rate of 24.7 percent in the first quarter of 2023. In the same quarter of 2022, the year-on-year growth rate of PPI for agriculture was recorded at 15.7 percent. (Figure 1, and Tables A, B, 3, and 5)

The country’s year-to-date average growth rate of PPI for agriculture was registered at 18.0 percent. (Table A)

Meanwhile, the quarter-on-quarter growth rate of PPI for agriculture recorded a decrease of 0.9 percent in the second quarter of 2023 from an increment of 0.7 percent in the first quarter of 2023. (Tables A and 2)

Among the 16 regions in Areas Outside the National Capital Region (AONCR), the highest annual drop in the PPI for agriculture was recorded in Region V (Bicol Region) at 6.8 percent. On the other hand, the highest annual increment was registered in Region VI (Western Visayas) at 27.8 percent. (Tables 3 and 5)

B. Major Commodity Group

In the second quarter of 2023, the PPI of the three major commodity groups exhibited downtrends. The year-on-year growth in the PPI for crops slowed down to 18.8 percent from 32.4 percent in the previous quarter. Moreover, the PPI for livestock and poultry recorded an annual decline of 5.1 percent from a year-on-year increase of 0.4 percent in the first quarter of 2023. Likewise, an annual decrement of 2.0 percent was registered in the PPI for fisheries from an annual uptrend of 14.4 percent in the previous quarter. (Table C and 3)

Quarter-on-quarter, the PPI for crops recorded an increase of 0.4 percent from 0.7 percent decrease in the first quarter of the year. On the other hand, the PPI for livestock and poultry registered a quarterly drop of 0.8 percent in the second quarter of 2023 from an increment of 2.9 percent in the previous quarter, and the PPI for fisheries registered a -9.0 percent in the second quarter of 2023 from 6.8 percent in the first quarter of 2023. (Tables C and 2)

1. PPI for crops eased further in the second quarter of 2023

The PPI for crops exhibited an annual deceleration of 18.8 percent during the quarter from an annual increment of 32.4 percent in the first quarter of 2023. In the same quarter of the previous year, its year-on-year increase was registered at 16.6 percent. (Figure 2, and Tables C, 1, 3, 7, and 8)

In the second quarter of 2023, fruit vegetables recorded a double-digit decline of 24.3 percent from an annual increase of 1.0 percent in the previous quarter.

In addition, slower annual increments were observed in the PPI of the following commodity groups:

a. Beans and legumes at 6.5 percent from 23.6 percent; 
b. Condiments at 91.8 percent from 102.8 percent; 
c. Leafy vegetables at 11.1 percent from 22.7 percent; 
d. Fruits at 4.2 percent from 7.0 percent; and 
e. Commercial crops at 29.8 percent from 55.2 percent.

On the other hand, faster annual increases were registered in cereals at 8.1 percent from 7.3 percent and rootcrops at 20.8 percent from 12.9 percent. (Tables 3 and 8)

Among the regions, Region I (Ilocos Region) registered the highest annual decline in the PPI for crops at 4.0 percent in the second quarter of 2023. This was followed by Region IX (Zamboanga Peninsula) at -2.6 percent and Region XI (Davao Region) at -1.3 percent.

On the other hand, the highest annual increases in the PPI for crops were posted in Region VII (Central Visayas) at 35.6 percent, Region VI (Western Visayas) at 34.7 percent, and Region X (Northern Mindanao) at 24.6 percent. (Tables 3, 7, and 8)

2. PPI for livestock and poultry went down in the second quarter of 2023

The PPI for livestock and poultry recorded an annual decline of 5.1 percent in the second quarter of 2023 from a 0.4 percent increment in the previous quarter. Its annual growth in the second quarter of 2022 was posted at 13.1 percent. (Figure 3, and Tables 3, 10, and 11)

The annual drop observed in the PPI for livestock and poultry during the quarter was due to the year-on-year decrease in the PPI for livestock at 7.2 percent and poultry at 1.3 percent relative to their annual rates of 0.2 percent and 0.9 percent in the previous quarter, respectively. (Tables 3 and 11)

Among the regions, Region V (Bicol Region) recorded the highest annual drop of 22.9 percent during the second quarter of 2023. This was followed by Region II (Cagayan Valley) at -22.2 percent and MIMAROPA Region at -18.4 percent.

On the other hand, the regions that registered the highest annual increments were Region XII (SOCCSKSARGEN) at 19.9 percent, Region IX (Zamboanga Peninsula) at 11.8 percent, and Region VIII (Eastern Visayas) at 10.1 percent. (Tables 3, 10, and 11)

3. PPI for fisheries dropped in the second quarter of 2023

At the national level, the PPI for fisheries recorded an annual decline of 2.0 percent from its annual increment of 14.4 percent in the previous quarter. In the same quarter of 2022, the annual growth of PPI for fisheries was registered at 11.6 percent. (Figure 4, and Tables 3, 13, and 14)

By subsector, the fastest year-on-year decline was posted in the PPI for inland municipal fisheries at 28.3 percent from 15.8 percent. Likewise, the PPI for commercial fisheries and marine municipal fisheries exhibited annual reductions of 1.6 percent and 1.1 percent, respectively, compared with their corresponding increases in the previous quarter at 19.9 percent and 9.3 percent. Moreover, the annual increment in the PPI for aquaculture decelerated to 1.9 percent from its 21.1 percent increase in the previous quarter. (Tables 3 and 14)

By region, the largest annual declines in the PPI for fisheries during the second quarter of 2023 were observed in Region VII (Central Visayas) at 12.9 percent, Region V (Bicol Region) at 12.3 percent, and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao at 10.1 percent.

On the other hand, the highest annual increments in the PPI for fisheries were recorded in Region II (Cagayan Valley) at 14.9 percent, Cordillera Administrative Region at 10.0 percent, and Region IV-A (CALABARZON) at 5.1 percent. (Tables 3, 13, and 14)

DIVINA GRACIA L. DEL PRADO, PhD 
Assistant Secretary 
Deputy National Statistician 
Sectoral Statistics Office