Despite the threat posed by the raging dry spell caused by El Niño, bangus -- or milkfish -- output for this year is expected to grow by 4.6%-5.4%, a reversal from the 0.93% decline reported last year, officials of the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) said. "For 2010, bangus high production target has been set at 5.4% and lower target of 4.6%," BFAR Assistant Director Gil A. Adora said via e-mail on Friday. The 5.4% growth in output is equivalent to an 18,860-metric ton (MT) increase from year-ago levels, while the 4.6% estimate means 16,063-MT incremental production year-on-year, Mr. Adora said. Data from the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) show that the country’s total bangus production in 2009 declined by almost a percent to 347,588 MT from the previous year’s 350,837 MT.

Buco, B.V. Jr. (2010, March 23). Bangus production expected to recover this year. BusinessWorld, p. S1/6.