The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), an attached agency of the DA, said it wants to be more conservative in its growth target for next year due to a number of factors, including the possible damages that may be caused by typhoons in major fish-producing areas, writes Jennifer A. Ng, reporting for the BusinessMirror.
The outlook for next year is better, [but] wed rather be conservative, said BFAR director Malcolm Sarmiento Jr. in a phone interview.
In recent years, the BFAR has been setting a growth target of 10 percent for fisheries production. But efforts of the government to grow fish production were challenged by natural disasters such as typhoons.
In August Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap said he is bullish about fish production in 2009 and has even targeted a growth rate of 10 percent to 5.7 million metric tons.
Positive New Year Outlook for Philippine Fisheries
PHILIPPINES - As the outlook for fisheries production is expected to be better next year, the Department of Agriculture (DA) is targeting a modest 7-percent growth in fisheries production in 2009.
