The growth rate of agricultural production in the Philippines slowed to 1.5% in the first nine months.

The growth of agricultural production in the Philippines slowed to 1.5% between January and September this year from the same period a year earlier, as recent strong typhoons caused severe damage to crops and infrastructure and crop failures, the Philippine Department of Agriculture said on Monday.

Agricultural officials say Philippine agricultural production increased by 1.55% year-on-year in the third quarter of this year, slower than the 3.25% increase in the same period last year. The strong typhoon made it difficult for the Ministry of Agriculture to meet its full-year 2009 growth target of 3%. Due to the severe damage caused by the typhoon, the annual increase will not even reach 1.5%.

In the first nine months of this year, Philippine rice production increased by 2.9% to 10.89 million tons, while corn production increased by 0.76% to 5.59 million tons.

Agriculture accounts for 1/5 of the Philippines' gross domestic product, but employment accounts for nearly 4/10. Rice is the main food in the Philippines, accounting for about 19% of the country's total agricultural production.

The damage to crops and agricultural infrastructure caused by the typhoon is estimated to be as high as 24 billion pesos.