BAGUIO CITY – The Cordillera office of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA-CAR) reported that livestock production in the region for the first semester of last year was pegged at 16,030 metric tons live weight which was 4.5 percent higher compared with the previous year’s level of 15,339 metric tons live weight.
The PSA-CAR explained that production of livestock refers to the volume of indigenous or locally raised animals disposed for slaughter which include animals exported or shipped out for slaughter.
Of the region’s total livestock production during the first semester last year, hog contributed the biggest share with 78 percent while the remaining 23 percent was shared by cattle, carabo and goat at 11 percent, 8 percent and 3 percent, respectively.
The PSA-CAR added that carabo production was estimated at 1,332 metric tons, a decrease of 3.1 percent from the previous year’s level of 1,374 metric tons wherein Apayao was the major producer of carabo in the region with 25 percent contribution followed by Abra with 23 percent and Ifugao with 21 percent.
On the other hand, the PSA-CAR disclosed that production of cattle for the first semester last year posted a decline of 3.7 percent from the previous year’s 1,795 metric tons to its output of 1,728 metric tons wherein Abra was the biggest contributor with a 33 percent share.
In contrast, hog production displayed an upward trend as it posted a 6.8 percent increase in the first half last year as production went up from 11,758 metric tons during the previous year to 12,561 metric tons last year wherein Kalinga contributed the biggest share with 22 percent while the remaining 5 provinces of the Cordillera had shares ranging from 13 to 17 percent.
The PSA-CAR stipulated that production of goat in the region for the first semester of last year was 409 metric tons which was slightly owner compared to the 412 metric tons output the previous year wherein Abra was the major producer of goat having a share of 61 percent while Mountain Province contributed the least with only 1 percent.
Based on the PSA-CAR, livestock refers to farm animals kept or raised for consumption, work or pleasure among others.
However, the PSA-|CAR clarified that poultry is separated as a distinct group of farm animals.
Further, it explained that for purposes of censuses and surveys, livestock overs only those that are tended and raised by an operator.
According to the PSA-CAR, swine is a non-ruminant, cloven-footed animal belonging to family suidae with simple stomach, having a small snout, large number of mammary glands, thin skin, and heavy bristles and it is also called hog or pig.
The PSA-CAR frequently comes out with periodic statistics reports on the status of the different socio-economic indicators in the region to serve as a guide for policy makers and decision makers in the formulation of policies, programs, projects and activities geared towards helping spur increased economic activities in the different local governments regionwide.
By HENT
