CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY - The government's fishing agency noted an increase in the production of fish in Northern Mindanao as it soared to about 37,000.55 metric tons (MT) during the first quarter of this year.
As this developed, the Region 10 office here of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR 10) mobilized its filed personnel to extend more assistance to aqua-marine fish cage sectors.
It was learned that BFAR 10 is also closely attending to the needs of various fish producers and local government units (LGUs) in the region that are engaged in aqua-marine fish cages and aqua culture, particularly in Lanao del Norte, Misamis Oriental and its component cities.
In a statement, BFAR 10 Regional Director Visa Tan Dimerin said the volume of production is actually 0.25 percent higher compared to that of 36.906.62 MT, recorded in the same period in 2009.
"We are expecting more production before the end of the year," the region's BFAR chief said.
Dimerin said that among the fish sectors, aquaculture posted the highest production at 15,744.72 MT, followed by the municipal fish sector with 10,884.87 MT, and the commercial sector with 10,370.96 MT.
The aquaculture sector posted the highest, with 8.45 percent, while the municipal sector posted a slight increase of 0.02 percent, but those in the commercial sector decreased by 9.86 percent, said Dimerin.
On the other hand, the aquaculture sector, marine fish cages/pens posted the highest production - from 257.78 MT to 351.60 MT or 36.40 percent, Dimerin added.
Freshwater fish also increased its production, from 305.76 MT to 375.03 MT or 22.66 percent, while seaweed production, from 8,291.83 MT to 9,939.55 MT or 19.87 percent, but brackish water fish declined, from 5,661.85 MT to 5,078.17 MT or down by 10.31 percent.
Meanwhile, the agriculture sector also noted higher production in Northern Mindanao during the first quarter of this year.
Carlito A. Baclayon, Regional Agricultural Statistical Officer (RASO) of the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) in Region 10, said a combined production of 2,440,371 metric tons (MT) in vegetables/roots/fruits/non-food and industrial crops have been noted in various areas of the region during the period.
Baclayon said the following movements in agricultural production have been noted - vegetables by 2.25 percent, root crops by 23.21 percent, fruit crops by 2.0 percent, and industrial crops by 16.36 percent.
According to Baclayon, among the vegetables - stringbeans, pechay, ampalaya, and gabi posted increases in production by 10.10 percent, 4.24 percent, 3.76 percent, and 0.53 percent, respectively.
