ECONOMY OF ANTIQUE


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For the year 1998, production of palay, the primary crop of the province registered a total of 177,521 metric tons (mt.) or 4,438,025 cavans from 58,847 hectares with an average yield of 3.02 metric tons per hectare. An increase of 8,280 mt. or 16.37 percent over last years (1997) production was observed because the area harvested has increased by 9,822 hectares or 5.86 percent. However, the average yield per hectare decreased by 0.3 mt. per hectare or 0.09 percent. As to farm type, the average yield per hectare for irrigated lands is 3.39 mt., 2.63 mt. for rain fed farms and 1.57 for upland areas.

As it has been for years, our province had enough stock to feed its population. This year, we have a surplus of 83,756 mt. or 2,093,900 cavans of palay. Copra, the second major agricultural commodity, registered a total production of 15,712 mt. in 1998 reflecting a decrease of 965 mt. (5.78%) as against last years (1997) yield of 16,677 mt. The main bulk of copra came from the municipality of Caluya where this area accounts for 44 percent of the total copra output of the province. The area planted with coconuts constitutes about 34 percent of the total area of the province. Caluya, together with Pandan, account for more than half (53%) of the total provincial figure in terms of area planted, number of bearing trees, nuts production and copra yield. For current year, data on production of other field crops are the following: corn - 650 metric tons, legumes (moonbeams, peanuts and other beans) - 1,689 metric tons, muscovado sugar - 2,280 metric tons, root crops (camote, cassava, ube, etc.) - 3,434 metric tons, vegetables (leafy, fruit and root) - 870 metric tons, banana - 11,102 metric tons and mango - 1,330 metric tons.

By the end of the year, preliminary data for the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) reported that the total volume of' fishery products reached 24,299 metric tons. The aquaculture sector yields the highest production during the inclusion of seaweed's in this sector.