Average farmer landholding down to 1.29 hectares–PSA

Landholdings of farmers nationwide declined by almost 50 percent in 32 years, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported.

Data released by the PSA showed that the average landholding of farmers declined to 1.29 hectares per farm in 2012, from 2.84 hectares per farm in 1980.

A farm is any piece of land used wholly or partly for agricultural production of crops, livestock, poultry and other agricultural activities.

“This could be accounted to the partitioning of farmholdings from one generation of agricultural holders-operators to their succeeding generation,” the PSA explained.

Data showed there was a 62.6- percent growth in the number of farms nationwide between 1980 and 2012.

The PSA said there were 5.56 million farms in 2012 covering 7.19 million hectares.

Among the region’s, Western Visayas had the highest number of landholdings with 518,000 farms, with a total area of 460,450 hectares.

The Bicol region followed with 486,000 farms, with 765,850 hectares and Cagayan Valley with 443,000 farms in 478,720 hectares.

Metro Manila or the National Capital Region had the least number of farms at 39,000, with an area of 20,270 hectares.

The PSA also said the top 4 regions with more than 500,000 hectares were Bicol, Region 12 or Soccskargen, Region 11 or Davao, and Region 10 or Northern Mindanao.

In terms of average area, the regions that reported more than 1.5 hectares per farm were Caraga, Zamboanga Peninsula, Davao region Mimaropa, Soccskargen and Bicol.

The 2012 Census of Agriculture and Fisheries (CAF) is a large-scale government undertaking geared toward the collection and compilation of basic information on the agricultural and fishery sectors in the Philippines.

Over the years, the CAF has been a source of comprehensive statistics on agriculture and fisheries for the use of the general public, government, business industry, and research and academic institutions. –BusinessAgri-Commoditiesby Cai Ordinario, Businessmirror