IRIS T.

ABALLE BSED 2- E SOCIAL STUDIES

AGRICULTURE IN THE PHILIPPINES VS. AGRICULTURE IN KENYA

AGRICULTURE IN THE PHILIPPINES: STATISTICS & FACTS

The Philippines is primarily an agricultural country with a large portion of Filipinos living in rural
areas and supporting themselves through agricultural activities. Recent figures suggest that about a
quarter of employed Filipinos work in the agricultural sector which is made up of four sub-sectors:
farming, fisheries, livestock, and forestry. In 2021, the sector generated a gross value added (GVA) of
about 1.76 trillion Philippine pesos, equivalent to a 9.6 percent share of the country’s gross domestic
product (GDP). However, as a result of the prolonged lockdown imposed due to the coronavirus
(COVID-19) pandemic, along with the natural calamities that occurred in the country, the sector’s
gross output contracted by 1.7 percent in that year.

Key agricultural subsectors

Due to its terrain and tropical climate condition, farming and fisheries have been the largest
agricultural sub-sectors in the Philippines. Crop production, particularly of sugarcane, palay or rice,
coconut, and bananas were among the highest nationwide and were also among the top export
products. In recent years, fruits and nuts, along with animal or vegetable fats and oils contributed
the largest share of the total agricultural exports of the country. In terms of livestock, hog, cattle,
and goat were the country’s major products while chicken and duck were the leading poultry
products.

On the other hand, the fisheries sector, which is composed of three subsectors: commercial,
municipal, and aquaculture, reflected slow growth in recent years. The export value of principal
fishery products from the country had also been declining since 2019 as the volume of production
fluctuated. Among the main contributing factors were climate change and the practice of
uncontrolled and unsustainable overfishing.

Challenges in the agriculture sector

The slow growth of the agricultural sector in the Philippines had been attributed to the rampant
conversion of arable lands to residential subdivisions, industrial parks, and resorts. Of the 30 million
hectares of land area, only one-third is used for agricultural activities. On top of that, the country’s
geographical location makes it volatile to natural disasters such as flooding and drought, further
contributing to the decrease in production. Investments in technology and innovation are necessary
steps to diversify and transform the country’s agricultural output, along with increased production
support and improved policies that prioritize the needs of farmers.

AGRICULTURE IN KENYA: STATISTICS & FACTS

Agriculture is vital for Kenya’s economy. The sector not only contributed 35 percent to the Kenyan
GDP in 2020, one of the highest shares in Africa, but also was the main source of employment in the
country. That same year, despite the overall economic impacts caused by the coronavirus (COVID-
19) pandemic, the agricultural sector grew 5.4 percent in comparison to 2019.

Performance of agricultural sectors

Kenya's main agricultural products include maize, sugarcane, tea, coffee, and horticulture. While
maize and sugarcane are mostly grown for the domestic markets, tea, coffee, and horticulture make
up the country's major exports. As of 2020, the performance of such products varied strongly.
Sugarcane production increased by roughly 50 percent due to the availability of mature cane. On the
other hand, coffee output declined by 18 percent as a result of bad weather in plantation areas.
Besides, the marketed production of livestock grew to 1.5 billion U.S. dollars and fishery reached the
highest output value in recent years - around 239 million U.S. dollars.

Agriculture as a key foreign-exchange earner

Food items and agricultural raw materials corresponded to roughly 60 percent of Kenya's total
merchandise exports in 2020. Tea and horticulture – including fruits, vegetables, and cut-flowers –
constitute Kenya’s major cash crops. Together, they generated roughly 2.5 billion U.S. dollars in
export earnings that year. With a smaller output, coffee also considerably contributed to agricultural
trade, adding some 195 million U.S. dollars. Despite the economic relevance, commercial crops
accounted for a small share of agricultural production. As of 2020, tea and coffee represented only
2.3 percent of Kenya's total crops output, which was mostly dominated by sugarcane and maize.

Challenges to the agricultural sector

Agriculture covers roughly half of Kenya's territory. However, only 21 percent of this area is arable
land, which restrains the expansion of farming activities. Unfavorable weather conditions also
impose obstacles to the sector. Kenya’s agriculture relies deeply on rainfall for irrigation. The
country has typically two rainy seasons but, in recent years, it has been more frequently hit by
droughts as a consequence of climate change. On top of that, locust infestations also affect
agricultural production.