INDUSTRY

CAREER GUIDE:
AGRIBUSINESS1

1
This career guide was written by Roderick Bugador as part of the
project Career Guides for Selected Industries, commissioned by the
Bureau of Local Employment of the Department of Labor and
Employment to the Angelo King Institute of De La Salle University.
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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 3
I. Nature of the Industry 5
A. Overview 5
B. Scope of Agribusiness Sector 6
C. Major Commodities 7
D. Industry Subsectors and Activities 7
a. Regional Distribution/Concentration of Subsectors 8
b. Industry Organization of the Subsectors 9
c. Type of Establishments 9
d. Recent Development and Performance 10
II. Employment 11
A. Number of Employed Workers per Sub-sector by 13
Geographical Location
B. Distribution of Employment 14
C. Type/Account of Employment 15
D. Workers’ Gender Characteristics by Region 16
E. Terms of Employment 18
III. Industry Occupations 19
A. Working Conditions 19
a. Working Environment 20
b. Occupational Injuries/Hazards 21
B. Average Earnings of Occupations 22
a. Primary Agriculture Earnings 22
b. Agricultural Manufacturing/Processing and Support 23
Earnings
C. Training and Advancement 23
a. Internal and External Training Program 23
b. Education and Training Providers 25
c. Basic Educational/Training/Skill Requirements 25
d. Professional Licensure Requirements 26
D. Specific Industry Occupations 26
a. Primary Agriculture 26
b. Agricultural Manufacturing/Processing Occupations 30
c. Agri-Entrepreneurial and Support Occupations 32
IV. In-Demand and Hard-to-Fill Occupations in the Sub- 34
Sectors
V. Job Outlook and Prospects 35
A. Industry Outlook 35
B. Employment Prospects 37
VI. References 39

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Agribusiness is generally the commercial aspect related to

agriculture or agricultural activities and its products. The
Agribusiness sector is engaged in the production and operations
of a farm, the manufacture and distribution of farm equipment and
supplies, and the processing, storage, and distribution of farm
commodities. The very core of the industry is agriculture, which is
supported by the manufacturing sector and service sector. As a
whole, the Agribusiness sector is quite diverse as it encompasses
input production, farm operations and management, equipment
and supplies manufacturing, food/non-food processing, trading,
and retailing.

Being a country rich in natural resources, the Philippines rely

heavily on agriculture to provide for its people and to drive its
economy. With approximately 32 percent of total land area
dedicated to agriculture and agricultural activities, 51% and 44%
are arable and permanent croplands, respectively. This shows a
clear picture as to how large and significant the agriculture
industry is. In 2009, Gross Value Added (GVA) in agriculture and
fishery amounted to a current price of P1, 121.78 Billion (inched
up by 0.03 percent) and accounted for 18 percent of the GDP
(BAS, 2010). Its exports totaled P150 billion in 2010. In terms of
employment, there were 12.04 million people employed in the
primary agriculture industry in 2009. This excludes workers who
are working and involved in agri-related industries like
manufacturing and services. These workers are directly engaged
in agro-processing, professional services and agricultural goods
distribution.

The Philippine Agribusiness sector is roughly composed of five

(5) subsectors; these are: crop production, animal production
(includes livestock and poultry), Forestry and Logging, Fishery
(including aquaculture) and Agri-support services and
manufacturing. Crop production subsector includes farms that
mainly grow crops and fruits that are eventually processed for
food and fiber. It remains the major activity of the industry with
49% of the overall production. Following crop production is the
Fishery subsector occupying 25% of the overall production.
Fishing activities include local and commercial fishing, fish
cage/pen operations and seafood production. Animal production
comes third capturing 21% (11% livestock; 10% poultry), which
activities range from small farming to large ranches that raise
3
animals for sale or for animal products. Lastly, Forestry, Logging,
and Agri-support services share the remaining activities of the
industry.

The occupations in this industry vary widely as it contains the

agriculture, manufacturing, and service sectors. Training, skills,
and qualifications depend on the nature and scope of work some
of the industry participants engage in. It may range from
knowledge in basic farming technology and maintenance to four to
five-years for degree courses in tertiary level education. Some
require professional licenses. The occupations in the Agribusiness
industry are segregated according to their involvement in the
industry. They are categorized under primary agriculture,
agricultural manufacturing/processing, and agri-entrepreneurial
and support occupations. Under the primary agriculture category,
workers perform a whole spectrum of daily chores involved in crop
and livestock preparation and production, fishing and processing,
breeding and management in a farm. Agriculturists, Bio-
technologists, Agricultural engineers, Plant Pathologists and
Entomologists are usually in-charge of ensuring the quality of the
agricultural commodities in the farm. Animal farmworkers including
breeders and veterinarians tend to animals raised for animal
products. These workers may also maintain records on animals.
Forester and conservation workers perform a variety of tasks to
reforest and conserve timberlands and maintain forest facilities.
Loggers and logging operators are the ones transforming forest
products into different wood related commodities. Fishers and
related fishing workers trap and catch various types of marine life
for human consumption, animal feed, bait, and other uses. Fishing
boat captains plan and oversee fishing operations. Under
agricultural manufacturing/processing, raw and intermediate
products from the agricultural sector are processed for final use.
Food Technologists and Chemists work as food processors who
handle the transformation of raw materials (from the farm) into
valuable food products for consumption. Accessories, craft and
furniture makers process various durable natural products to
become decorations and furniture. Under the Agri-Entrepreneurial
and support occupations, workers may not require agriculture-
related degrees and could encourage professionals from different
fields. This group connects the upstream and downstream
segments of the market for agricultural goods.

Despite erratic weather conditions and declining number of

graduates of agriculture-related degrees, there is still a steady
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demand of Agribusiness workers. Another major prospect for
working in the Agribusiness industry is that it is flexible since it
encompasses entrepreneurship. Many people are engaged in
entrepreneurship which focuses on agricultural products, which
are a quick and cheap to source. This secures them higher
income, especially when their ventures are managed well.

There is much to be gained from the Agribusiness industry as

Free Trade Agreements with other nations are easing the flow of
goods by reducing tariffs on imports and exports. The recent
ASEAN-ANZ, which eliminates tariffs for import and export of
agricultural products between Philippines and Australia and New
Zealand, will provide exporters with greater market access to
Australia and New Zealand. Another opportunity for the industry is
the rapid development of biotechnology which is quickly
developing the quality of agricultural products by significantly
reducing growth time and increasing yield in crops and animal
subsectors. In the past few years, breakthroughs in biotechnology
have created more nutritional and disease-resistant strains of
crops and livestock.

I. NATURE OF THE INDUSTRY

A. Overview. For many years, the Agribusiness sector

played a significant role in the Philippine economy. It
steadily contributed to the country’s Gross Domestic
Product (GDP), boosting production and employment.
In 2009, Gross Value Added (GVA) in agriculture and
fishery amounted to a current price of PhP 1, 121.78
Billion (inched up by 0.03 percent) and accounted for 18
% of the GDP (BAS, 2010) 2. Its exports totaled PhP
150 Billion in 2010, attempting to compete with those of
neighboring countries in South East Asia. Being rich in
natural resources, the Philippines relies heavily on the
activities of the agriculture industry which produces and
transforms farm goods and services for its people.
About 32 %of the country's total land area constitutes
the agricultural land. Of this, 51% and 44% were arable
and permanent croplands, respectively.

2
Agriculture Facts and Figures 2010
5
The wide variety of products produced from this sector
helps nourish even the most remote communities in the
country. Recently though, trends in the shifting of global
production networks have affected the performance of
Philippine agriculture. For example, the booming
electronics and services industry has shifted the overall
production of the Philippines from highly agricultural to
becoming industrial. It is a challenge for the Philippine
government and its related institutions to revive the
agriculture industry and continue to respond to the need
of many local communities. At present, the Philippine
government, through the Department of Agriculture
(DA) and related bureaus, pushes for the
implementation of many programs including the “Farm
to Plate” strategy for the Agribusiness sector thereby
broadening its scope and services to all the consumers.
The overarching agenda is about food security which
entails meeting the food requirements of the present
and future generations of Filipinos in substantial
quantity, ensuring the availability and affordability of
food to all, at all times.

B. Scope of the Agribusiness Sector. It has been

difficult to delimit the scope of Agribusiness sector due
to the dynamism of the activities and the interconnected
industries that constitute it. By definition, the
Agribusiness sector is engaged in the production and
operations of a farm, the manufacture and distribution of
farm equipment and supplies, and the processing,
storage, and distribution of farm commodities.
Agriculture (agricultural production and management) is
clearly the core of Agribusiness. It includes all the
activities in the agricultural sector (as inputs) and some
portions of the Industrial/Manufacturing and Services
sectors (for processing, distribution or consumption, and
financing). Thus, the nature of work in agribusiness has
a very wide scope from input production, farm
operations and management, food/non-food processing,
equipment and supplies manufacturing, trading, and
retailing.

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 C. Major Commodities. The lush tropical vegetation of
the Philippines offers variety of crops and fruits
produced and processed by the Agribusiness sector.
Palay or rice is the most widely produced in almost all
regions, especially in Luzon. This is followed by
sugarcane in Visayas, and corn, coconut, and coffee in
Mindanao. Fruits for exports such as pineapple and
banana are heavily produced in Mindanao while mango
is the primary output from Luzon. In the animal
production subsector, hog/pork occupies the largest
volume of production followed by cattle/beef, carabao,
goat and dairy. For poultry, chicken being common
followed by duck, and egg products. Most of these
livestock produce come from the Luzon. The Fishery
subsector produces heavily through Aquaculture by its
operation in fish ponds/cages/pens that produces
bangus, tilapia, prawns and other types of seafood (i.e.
oyster, mussel) and seaweed. The rest of the Fishery
subsector generates other species of fish including
Tuna (best known for export), coming from municipal
and commercial fishing in Mindanao. Lastly, the
Forestry subsector primarily produces logs, followed by
lumber, plywood and other types of veneer. These
agricultural produce are the main source of the activity
in the sector through its value-adding processes. The
direct outputs of these processes are food products
ready for consumption or numerous materials for
different utilization.

D. Industry Subsectors and Activities.3 The

Philippine Agribusiness sector is roughly composed of
five (5) subsectors; these are: crop production, animal
production (includes livestock and poultry), Forestry and
Logging, Fishery (including aquaculture) and Agri-
support services and manufacturing. Crop production
subsector includes farms that mainly grow crops and
fruits that are eventually processed for food and fiber. It
remains the major activity of the industry with 49% of
the overall production. Following crop production is the
Fishery subsector occupying 25% of the overall
production. Fishing activities include local and

3
Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS), 2009
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 commercial fishing, fish cage/pen operations and
seafood production. Animal production comes third
capturing 21% (11% livestock; 10% poultry), which
activities range from small farming to large ranches that
raise animals for sale or for animal products. Lastly,
Forestry, Logging, and Agri-support services share the
remaining activities of the industry.

a. Regional Distribution/Concentration of
Subsectors.4

Figure 1. Production in
Agriculture
ARMM

BICOL REGION

CAGAYAN VALLEY

Regions in Luzon dominate most of the

subsectors with a combined average of 44.51%
production for all the sectors. Animal production
(Livestock and Poultry) has the biggest share for
Luzon which animal produce comes from
Central Luzon, CALABARZON, Ilocos and
Cagayan Valley regions. Fishing and
Aquaculture is also notable in Luzon seizing
60.42% of the overall production. The majority of
this is from Inland and Aquaculture in the
regions of Central Luzon, CALABARZON,
MIMAROPA and Bicol. Mindanao, which is
known as the food basket in the country,
occupied the highest in crop production
contributing 53.5% of the total crop production in
the country. Most of these crops come from
Northern Mindanao, Davao and
SOCCSKSARGEN regions. Mindanao relatively
produces an average of 28% for all of its

4
Selected Statistics in Agriculture, BAS, 2010
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subsectors, quite lower compared to Luzon.
Lastly, the Visayas region is contributing an
average of 17.11% in its overall production; this
is the lowest among the three main regional
groups. Higher production is Livestock, coming
from the Western and Central Visayas regions.

b. Industry Organization of the Subsectors.

Each subsector in Philippine Agribusiness is a
coordinated system of input,
production/processing, storage and
distribution/retailing. The main differences
among the subsectors are their size and
marketing strategy. Sometimes, consumers and
traders are involved even at the start of the
whole process. Inputs are usually supplied by
the Agricultural services sectors such as nursery
operators, breeders, chemicals and equipment
distributors. This input can also be part or
internal in the whole operations of a farm
(especially the larger ones) or consigned from
external suppliers. The processing or production
function can also be internal or external
depending on the size of the farm/enterprise or
its market arrangements. Most of the time,
farmers coordinate with traders or buyers even
before they harvest their commodities. Again,
this is very relevant to the nature of Agribusiness
as highly seasonal and perishability as far as its
output is concern. Historically, the storage and
distribution/retailing functions had been handled
by middlemen. These middlemen are part of the
whole sector and provide agricultural services
that include finance, networking, and distribution
of farm products.

c. Type of Establishments. Agribusiness sub-

sector has four main market entities, these are:
agricultural input suppliers, farmer-producers,
processor-wholesaler-distributors, and retailers.
Each of these establishments has its own
unique contribution for the whole agribusiness
system to work. Input suppliers can be a small
or a large enterprise. Breeders, greenhouse
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operators, fertilizer and pesticides
manufacturers are some of the examples of
establishments in the input category. Farmer-
producers are those establishments that are
usually farms, directly operating and managing
day-to-day operations that produce all sorts of
raw commodities for processing or consumption.
Processors-wholesalers-distributors are
establishments that take care of the processing
of any produce from the farm. This can be meat,
milk, egg, fish, raw materials or any type of fruit.
Establishments are usually part of the
manufacturing sector that transform or process
agricultural products into different value-added
and consumable products. These
establishments can range from backyard
enterprises to multinational companies such as
DOLE, Del Monte and Top Philippine
corporations (e.g. Universal Robina Corporation,
San Miguel Foods, Swift Foods, etc.). Retailing
of agribusiness products can vary greatly from
local establishments like public market stalls to
big grocery stores in shopping malls. Another
type of establishment that exists in the industry
is cooperative organizations. Cooperatives could
sometimes combine all the functions of the four
market entities. They form an association among
farmers and pool their resources together which
then caters to all the needs (from inputs,
financing and marketing) of every farmer-
member.

d. Recent Development and Performance.

The significant development in the Agribusiness
sector lately was the creation of the Roll-on-Roll-
off or Ro-Ro transport infrastructure that has
connected major islands in the Philippines from
Mindanao to Luzon. This paved the way for
easier way to transport agricultural produce from
Mindanao to Luzon and vice versa. This is very
important development considering that the bulk
of demands for agricultural products is in Luzon
while a number of these products are produced
in Mindanao. However, due to the inherent
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 problems of the perishability of agricultural
produce, utilization of the Ro-Ro is mostly in
short distances or islands at the moment.

A number of irrigation infrastructures is also

being established and improved in many regions
(especially in Bicol and Negros) to help farmers
boost their production. This has been
implemented to secure enough water for farms
during drought seasons. In the area of livestock
production, Philippines was declared to be free
from foot and mouth disease (FMD) without
vaccination by the Office International des
Epizooties (OIE) or World Organization for
Animal Health. This is followed by the DA
Secretary issuing Administrative Order (AO) No.
19 in 2 August 2011, lifting all FMD-related
transport restrictions for swine, cattle, carabao,
sheep, goats, and other cloven-footed animals,
including their meat, meat products, and other
by-products nationwide. It made possible and
facilitated the stable supply to the demands of
livestock in many parts of the country.

II. EMPLOYMENT

Countrywide, there were 12.04 million persons

employed in the primary agriculture in 2009. This
excludes workers who are working and involved in agri-
related industries such as manufacturing and services.
These workers are directly engaged in agro-processing,
professional services and agricultural goods distribution.
It is estimated that the overall employment generated by
primary agriculture and its related industries could be
around 40% to 60% of the country’s total employment5.
However, due to the absence of a consolidated data,
most of these numbers are reported separately by
different government bodies. Overall, the total number
of employed persons has expanded by an average of
1% yearly from 2006 to 2009. The sector’s share in total

5
Source: Department of Agriculture (2009)
11
employment went down to 34.3%. The shares
contracted by an average of 1.4% annually.

Due to its vulnerability to weather conditions, political

and economic crisis, labor intensity in the Agricultural
sector has also been dramatic (as illustrated on Figure
2). Most notably, it significantly dropped in the last 1997
financial crisis and steadily declined beginning 2000
until 2006. The following years depicted a slight stability
but always sensible to many challenges. Philippine
agriculture has been a laggard due to poor unsupportive
policy environments in land reform and rural
infrastructure (despite CARP), poor national and local
governance, low budget for research and development
as well as poor regulatory framework which is often
based on outdated legal mandates that do not consider
current developments and issues (Dy, 2005). Another
challenge is the number of trade protection policies in
many agricultural products.

There are basically three (3) broad areas where

agricultural employment is generated. The first area is
in inputs, where acquisition of farm supplies and farm
preparation take place. Employment activities range
from buying, selling and transporting of farm inputs,
land preparation and financing activities. This can
involve laborers, growers, sales representatives from
agrochemical companies, logistics, banks, and loan
providers. The second area is in actual farming and
agricultural processing. This area occupies the bulk of
agricultural employment being the major activity of the
sector. Farmers and other professionals participate in
this area for the purposes of quality production and
value-adding innovations to the agricultural produce.
Work can require expertise of contractual and regular
agriculturists/farmers and managers, veterinary
workers, pesticides and chemicals experts, agricultural
engineers, food technologists, chemists, and food
processors.

Lastly, a mix of agribusiness activities that employs

people, cut across many industries like biotechnology,
logistics, finance and import/export, and retailing. This
area generally works around the agricultural output from
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 the farm to the end consumers or household
consumption.

Figure 2. Philippine Agricultural Labor Intensity Growth, 1993-2008

(Source: Datamonitor)

A. Number of Employed Workers per Sub-sector by

Geographical Region6.

Region % Region %
employed employed
in in
agriculture agriculture
Philippines 34.3 Western Visayas 40.1
NCR 0.7 Central Visayas 32.0
CAR 54.1 Eastern Visayas 45.5
Ilocos Region 39.2 Zamboanga 51.4
Peninsula
Cagayan 59.3 Northern 43.7
Valley Mindanao
Central Luzon 22.1 Davao Region 41.2
CALABARZO 17.7 SOCCSKSARGE 52.1
N N
MIMAROPA 51.3 Caraga 42.0
Bicol Region 43.1 ARMM 71.7
Table 1. Proportion of employed persons in
agriculture by region. Source: Agricultural

6
Agricultural Indicators System (AIS) Report, BAS, 2009.
13
 Indicators System (2010), Bureau of Agricultural
Statistics.

As can be seen in Table 1, agricultural employment

remained biggest in Western Visayas. However, it
declined to 1.16 million persons in 2009 by yearly
average of 0.6%. Its corresponding share in the
region’s total employment went down to 40.1% in
2009 or by an average of 2.4%. Moreover, ARMM
exhibited the highest proportion of agricultural
employment at 71.7% with 0.81 million employed
persons. The region recorded the highest average
yearly gain in number at 3.3%. Its proportion
increased by 0.1% over the reference years. In
contrast, NCR had only 31,000 persons employed in
agriculture and this comprised 0.7% of the region’s
total employment. The number and proportion were
declining by averages of 4.2% and 7.4 percent,
respectively. Decreasing numbers of employed
persons in agriculture were also noted in
CALABARZON, Bicol Region, and Eastern Visayas.
On the other hand, the proportions in all regions
except ARMM were likewise decreasing over the
four reference years.

B. Distribution of the Employment.

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 Figure 3. Employment in
Agriculture
Crops

Animal Farming

Fishery

The number of employed persons engaged in growing

of crops reached 9.16 million in 2008. They comprised
76.2% of the total agricultural employment. Over the
three year period (2006 to 2008), the numbers
expanded by an annual average growth of 3.35% while
the proportion inched up by 1.9 %. Decreasing
employment levels were reported in fishing, farming of
animals, animal husbandry and forestry activities. In
fishing, there were 1.43 million persons in 2008 but the
number was declining by an average of 0.06%.
Employment in fishing accounted for 11.9 percent.
Persons involved in farming of animals and animal
husbandry activities numbered more than half a million
each and they comprised a total of about 11%in the
total employment in agriculture. Only about 1.2% or
0.15 million persons were employed in forestry, logging,
hunting, and related service activities.

C. Type/Account of Employment.

Class of Workers 2006 2007 2008

Wage and Salary Workers 24.4 25.4 25.8
Worked for Private 24.2 25.2 25.7
Household/Establishment
/Family-Operated Activities
Worked for 0.2 0.2 0.1
Government/Government

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 Corporation
Own-account Workers 50.6 49.6 48.8
Self-Employed 42.9 42.2 41.6
Employer 7.7 7.4 7.2
Unpaid Family Workers 25.0 25.0 25.4
Table 2. Proportion of employed persons by
class of workers. Source: Agricultural
Indicators System (2010), Bureau of
Agricultural Statistics.

The own-account workers (self-employed or

employer) constituted half of the total employed
persons in agriculture. This is tied to the increasing
number of entrepreneurs and second career
individuals in the country. In 2008, this class of
workers numbered 5.87 million persons and they
represented 48.8% of the country’s agricultural
employment. Own-account employment was
dominated by self-employed workers comprising
41.6%. However, the number of own account
workers dropped by 0.4% and the proportion by
1.8% over the years 2006 to 2008. The wage and
salary workers and unpaid family workers
accounted for one fourth each of the total
employment in agriculture. In 2008, there were
3.11 million wage and salary agricultural workers
which expanded by 4.4% over the three reference
years. The unpaid family workers at 3.06 million
persons went up by an average of 2.3%. The
proportions of these two classes in the total
agricultural employment were increasing.

D. Workers’ Gender Characteristics by Region.

# employed # employed
Region Region
Male Female Male Female
Philippines 8,965 3,078 Western Visayas 861 294
NCR 28 3 Central Visayas 578 278
CAR 231 136 Eastern Visayas 594 162
Ilocos Region 569 165 Zamboanga 496 200

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 Peninsula
Cagayan 588 244 Northern 540 261
Valley Mindanao
Central Luzon 650 145 Davao Region 533 170
CALABARZON 600 163 SOCCSKSARGEN 628 208
MIMAROPA 449 170 Caraga 305 105
Bicol Region 689 186 ARMM 627 187
Table 3. Number of employed males and
females in agriculture in 2009 (in thousands).
Source: Agricultural Indicators System (2010),
Bureau of Agricultural Statistics.

As can be seen from Table 3, males dominated

employment in agriculture by around 75%. In 2009,
there were about 8.96 million males and 3.08
million females employed in agriculture. The
numbers expanded by an average of 1% each
annually over the years 2006 to 2009. Across
regions, Western Visayas recorded the biggest
number of agricultural workers at 0.86 million
males and 0.29 million females. On the average,
employment of males in the region grew by 0.1%
while that of the females declined by 2.6%
annually. NCR posted the least numbers of male
and female workers in agriculture at 28,000 and
3,000, respectively. The region’s employment was
going down at 1.9 percent for males and 18.9% for
females. Declining agricultural employment of both
sexes was noted in Bicol Region while
CALABARZON exhibited declining male
employment. Meanwhile, the numbers of female
agricultural workers dropped in Ilocos, Eastern
Visayas, and Northern Mindanao regions.
Employment growth among the males was biggest
in CAR, MIMAROPA and SOCCSKSARGEN at
more than 2% each. On the average, the number
of female agricultural workers grew at a faster rate
in ARMM at 9.4%.

% employed % employed
Region Region
Male Female Male Female

17
 Philippines 41.9 22.5 Western Visayas 49.3 25.8
NCR 1.2 0.2 Central Visayas 37.4 24.7
CAR 57.5 49.1 Eastern Visayas 57.2 26.0
Ilocos Region 47.2 24.8 Zamboanga 57.9 39.8
Peninsula
Cagayan 65.3 48.5 Northern 50.0 34.8
Valley Mindanao
Central Luzon 28.9 10.8 Davao Region 48.9 27.6
CALABARZON 24.0 9.1 SOCCSKSARGEN 61.2 35.9
MIMAROPA 62.3 36.4 Caraga 49.5 29.1
Bicol Region 54.0 24.7 ARMM 77.4 57.5
Table 4. Proportion of employed males and
females in agriculture to total male and female
employment respectively, in 2009. Source:
Agricultural Indicators System (2010), Bureau
of Agricultural Statistics.

Of the total male employment, the proportion of

employed males in agriculture went down to 41.9% in
2009 s can be seen in Table 4. This decreased by an
average of 1.2% annually. On the other hand, the
proportion of female agricultural workers to total female
employment went down to 22.5% by 1.6% annually.
ARMM contributed the highest proportion of agricultural
employment to total employment at 77.4% for male
workers and 57.5% for female workers. The proportion
was declining for males by 0.1% while it was increasing
for females by 2.2 percent. In contrast, NCR had the
least proportions of agricultural employment and it also
posted the highest average reduction for both sexes.
Decreasing proportions of male agricultural workers
were observed in all regions. For females, the
proportions were declining except in Central Luzon,
Central Visayas, and ARMM.

E. Terms of Employment. The employment contracts

of workers in the various subsectors are highly
dependent on the agricultural production cycle and the
size and type of establishments that they belong to. In
small farms, which most of the work is seasonal,
farmer-owners often hire seasonal or contractual
workers as the farm progresses from planting to
harvesting. After this initial cycle, another group of
18
 workers will be hired for drying, sorting and storing.
Most of the workers in these small farms are family
members or community folks whose employment
contracts that can be very informal at times. On the
other hand, larger farms can be very formal following
the strict employment procedure set by the government
particularly the Department of Labor and Employment
(DOLE) with regards to contractualization or
permanency of employed workers. By law, workers in
these farms should be made permanent after 6-12
months of continuous employment. In general, the
distinctive nature of the agricultural production permits
farm owners or companies to maintain only a minimum
number of permanent workers; others or sometimes the
majority of the employees are contractual.

III. INDUSTRY OCCUPATIONS

A. Working Conditions. Working conditions vary

greatly in each subsector in the Agribusiness sector.
Working hours is very different compared to the working
hours in many contemporary industries. Primarily, the
working hours in the agribusiness respond to the
distinct characteristics of its production cycle (i.e.
seasonality and perishability). In other words, aside
from producing specific type of products in certain
intervals, work cannot be delayed when crops must be
planted, harvested, transported or when animals must
be sheltered and fed. Workers usually work along the
cycle of the production activities needed for specific
commodities.

Agribusiness work generally does not strictly follow 8-

hour day and 5-days or 40-hour a week working hours,
except for administrative positions where work is being
done inside an office specifically those of the
agricultural services and processing subsectors. Work
schedule varies from early in the morning to late
evening chores. In the crop production subsector for
example, working hours usually begin early in the
morning (especially during planting season), relaxes
during noontime until early afternoon, and finishes late
19
in the afternoon. Working in plantations also follows
specific hours (e.g. cultivating, weeding, watering and
spraying pesticides, etc.). Harvesting is where the work
is continuous in nature until storage. The Fishery
subsector also has its own specific time of work.
Municipal fishermen and commercial fishers usually
spend days in the sea to get some catch. They only
return home after having consumed their food or when
the catch has to be transported back for selling. They
are also obliged to refrain from working during bad
weather conditions. In Aquaculture, the working hours
depend on the type of fish or seafood that the farm is
growing. Mostly, the working time is devoted to feeding
(which can be three times a day) and the rest is
checking the safety and sanitation of the cages/ponds.
The Animal Production subsector follows almost the
same working hours with the Aquaculture subsector.
The only difference is that the workers in the
Aquaculture subsector take care of animals that can be
very vulnerable to insects, heat and diseases. Majority
of their time is spent for checking health conditions,
vaccinations and sanitation; this is done anytime of the
day. On the other hand, in the Forestry subsector the
workers have very different working hours because of
the sporadic nature of their work. They can work all day
preparing, cutting and transporting the logs which give
them little time to rest. However, there is also much of
idle time in the course of the week or month while
waiting for the demand of products from prospective
buyers.

As for the trading or selling of all the outputs, farmers

regularly establish contract agreement with buyers or
with their cooperative if they have one. Hence,
disposing their products does not take so much of their
time since the tasks are assumed by these buyers or
traders, including middlemen.

a. Working Environment. The Agribusiness work

can be extremely independent or collaborative at
many times in the production cycle. Although in
general, it is assumed to be more on a
collaborative type of work. During the input stage
as in planting, breeding, weeding or fishing, most
20
 of the work is done independently. Workers make
sure that they are able to apply their individual
skills and techniques to ensure the quality of the
input-output progression. However, during the
processing period (i.e. harvest or post-harvest,
distribution and transporting) workers greatly need
much manpower to carry all necessary tasks or
else spoilage may take place.

Much of the work on farms, ranches, fish

ponds/cages usually takes place outdoors. They
can be very laborious or physical in nature, and
highly exposed to all kinds of weather. Harvesting
for example, requires manual labor wherein
workers have to do more bending, stooping, and
lifting. Thus, agribusiness work attracts people
who enjoy working with nature, living an
independent lifestyle, or working outdoors on the
land. For many, the wide-open farm area, the
variability of day-to-day work, and the rural setting
provide benefits that help to offset the hard labor
and the risks associated with it, to shifting outlook
for good revenues.

b. Occupational Injuries/Hazards7. Given the

physically demanding tasks, uncommon working
schedule, and working environment in the
Agribusiness sector, risks on injuries/hazards are
inevitable. For example, farm workers are
commonly exposed to pesticides and other
hazardous chemicals sprayed on crops or plants.
Some of these chemicals can cause minor
irritation or even impotence. Those who work with
machine in the farm or processing plants can have
injuries when working with their tools and heavy
equipment. Those who work directly with animals
risk being bitten or being exposed to animal
diseases. Foresters risk being in the forest along
with wild animals that can be unfriendly at times.
From 1991 to 1996 almost 45% of all the
establishments in the agribusiness subsector
reported work-related injuries throughout the years

7
Occupational Injuries Survey, BLES, 1996.
21
 (it became lesser recently). It varies from disabling
to non-disabling, caused by common injuries e.g.
cuts, lacerations, punctures, avulsions,
hematoma, abrasions, burns, etc.). With higher
possibility of getting injuries, extra care and control
is necessary to avoid them.

B. Average Earnings of Occupations

a. Primary Agriculture Earnings. Among the

wage and salary workers in agriculture, the average
basic wage and salary paid to them in 2009
amounted to PhP145.14 per day. It registered an
average annual gain of 3.17% from 2006 to 2009.
Those in the fishing activity received higher daily
salary and wages at PhP174.62 compared to those
engaged in crops, livestock and forestry activities at
PhP142.87. Average annual wage increase was
higher in fishing at 3.58 percent than in agriculture,
hunting and forestry at 3.16%. For regional
agricultural wage rates, farm workers tend to be
higher in Luzon, especially Central Luzon
(PhP170.26), Ilocos (PhP154.74) and
CALABARZON (PhP157.45) regions. On the other
hand, farm workers from the Visayas receive the
lowest earning compared to other regions in the
country. Rate were given the lowest in Central
Visayas (PhP95.21), Western Visayas
(PhP116.69), and Easter Visayas (P101.37).
Mindanao agricultural workers in CARAGA
(PhP122.17) and Northern Mindanao (PhP118.6)
received a bit higher earnings than those in the
Visayas regions. As of May 2011, the average daily
basic wage and salary paid to agricultural workers
amounted to PhP220 for plantation workers and
PhP230 for non-plantation workers, respectively8.
These numbers are higher compared from that of
2009 figures (see table below for comparison).

8
DOLE-National Wages and Productivity Commission, 2011.
22
 Average Average Daily Earnings in
Daily 2011
Region
Earnings in Non-
Plantation
2009 Plantation
NCR - 389 389
CAR - 235 235
Ilocos 154.74 228 200
Central Luzon 170.26 233 213
CALABARZON 157.45 312 292
Central Visayas 95.21 235 240
Bicol - 225 205
Western Visayas 233 223
Eastern Visayas 101.37 215 198
CARAGA 122.17 235 235
Northern
118.6 226.5 220
Mindanao
Central
- 225 220
Mindanao

Table 1. Average Daily Earnings (excluding COLA) in

Agriculture in 2009 and 2011 (in Pesos).

b. Agricultural Manufacturing/Processing and

Support Earnings. There is a wide gap in the
earnings for different occupations belonging to the
agricultural manufacturing and support subsectors.
Since the nature of these occupations is not
considered farming, they are accounted as part of
the manufacturing or service sectors. Thus, their
daily wage follows that of the non-agriculture
category ranging from PhP230 - PhP404
depending on the region. On the other hand,
professionals within this subsector such as food
technologists, chemists and plant managers could
earn up to PhP500 - PhP1000 depending on the
size of their company or employer.

C. Training and Advancement

a. Internal and External Training Program.

Agribusiness workers’ advanced skills and
techniques are expected to be acquired during
23
the course of their work within the farm or the
enterprise. Employers usually expect their new
workers to learn the routine and innovate later
on through the combination of their earned
skills and the resources that the enterprise
have. On the other hand, internal and external
training in the Agribusiness is highly contingent
with the development of the whole agriculture
industry in the country. The trend is not for
individual training but mostly team or group
trainings. Most of these trainings are offered by
external sources belonging to the agri-services
sector and agricultural related bureaus of the
government like the Department of Agriculture.
Training as well as the education in
agribusiness are found mostly in provincial
universities such as Silliman University,
Benguet State University, Mindanao State
University and Universidad de Zamboanga
which offer courses such as those in Forestry,
Agricultural Engineering, Animal Science, Crop
Science, Agronomy and Agricultural Business
and Economics. There is the MFI Farm
Business School in Jalajala, Rizal, in
partnership with the University of Rizal System
and the Management Association of the
Philippines which offers a Diploma on
Agriculture Entrepreneurship which makes use
of Dual Training System which entails
education given both at the school and at the
students’ family farm (Gayo, 2009). Students of
this program are expected to venture into
agricultural projects as agriculture
entrepreneurs or as farm
supervisors/managers. The curriculum is
centered on the practicum wherein students
will work firsthand in the early morning and late
afternoons and engage in classroom
discussions at mid-day. The Agricultural
Training Institute (ATI) Philippines which is
24
based in Central Mindanao University
administers training programs that emphasize
the acquisition of relevant knowledge,
appropriate skills and desirable attitudes
towards work, focusing on entrepreneurship,
extension delivery, project development,
farming systems development, management
and supervisory development, institutional
development and package of application
technology (NOMCARRD website).

b. Education and Training Providers. Agriculture

or Agribusiness related education and technology
are commonly offered by various Higher
Educational Institutions (HEIs) in the country. Most
of these HEIs or tertiary institutions are public or
government-owned. They offer lower fees
compared to most private universities or colleges,
attracting learners mostly from low-income
households. Many of these government-owned
HEIs are also located in the countryside, where
farms are also predominant.

c. Basic Educational/Training/Skill
Requirements. The basic requirement for working
in the Agribusiness sector is a degree mostly
earned in HEIS or Tertiary educational institutions.
Some degrees/skills can also be earned from
vocational schools in the country, which may serve
as the foundation for higher degrees. These degree
courses belong to the “Agriculture, Forestry and
Natural Resources (AFNR) courses”. These are
offered from two (2) to five (5) year of full time
study in the undergraduate level. Some courses
with specialization are expected to train themselves
further after completing the initial undergraduate
course (see list below).

• Agriculture • Entomology
• Agricultural , Pest
Engineering Manageme
• Agribusiness, nt, Plant
Agribusiness Pathology
25
 Management • Entreprene
• Agri-Biotechnology urial
• Agricultural Technology
Technology • Environmen
• Agricultural tal Science
Education, Rural and Natural
Sociology, Resource
Community Manageme
Development nt,
• Agricultural Landscape
Economics Architecture
• Agro-Forestry, • Fisheries,
Forestry, Forest Fishery
Ranger Technology
• Agricultural • Food
Extension Technology
• Agricultural/Develop • Marine
ment Biology
Communication • Plant
• Agricultural Breeding
Chemistry • Rubber
• Poultry-Animal Production
Husbandry, Dairy-
Animal Science
Table 2. List of Undergraduate Courses
Required in the Industry

d. Professional Licensure Requirements. Not all

occupations require professional licensure in the
Agribusiness sector. However, selected occupations
that undergo special training and expertise need to
be certified. The basic licensure requirements are
for Agricultural/Fishery technologist and
Agriculturists. Highly specialized/technical
occupation like Agricultural engineer, Food
Technologists, Entomologists, Marine Biologists and
Veterinarian are required to obtain license to
practice their respective occupations.

D. Specific Industry Occupations

a. Primary Agriculture. Primary agricultural

workers include occupations that perform a whole
26
spectrum of daily chores involved in crop and
livestock preparation and production, fishing and
processing, breeding, and management in a farm
(refer to Table 2).

Agriculturists, bio-technologists, agricultural

engineers, plant pathologists and entomologists are
usually in-charge of ensuring the quality of the
agricultural commodities in the farm. Their
responsibilities can include managing nursery and
greenhouses or manually plant, maintain, and
harvest food crops; apply pesticides, herbicides, and
fertilizer to crops; and cultivate plants. Agricultural
engineers mostly take care or irrigation,
mechanization and efficient use of space and
resources of the farm.

Animal farm workers including breeders and

veterinarians tend to animals raised for animal
products, such as meat, fur, skins, wool, feathers,
eggs, milk, and honey. Duties may include feeding,
watering, herding, grazing, castrating, weighing,
catching, and loading animals. These farm workers
also may maintain records on animals, examine
animals to detect diseases and injuries, assist in
birth deliveries, and administer medications,
vaccinations, or insecticides, as appropriate. Animal
breeders select and breed animals according to
their genealogy, characteristics, and offspring.
Usually, these workers need knowledge of the
techniques of artificial insemination.

Forester and conservation workers perform a variety

of tasks to reforest and conserve timberlands and
maintain forest facilities, such as roads and
campsites. They may plant tree seedlings to reforest
timberland areas, remove diseased or undesirable
trees, and spray trees with insecticides. They also
may clear away brush and debris from trails,
roadsides, and camping areas. Other forest and
conservation workers are involved in forest
nurseries, sorting out tree seedlings and discarding
those that do not meet prescribed standards of root
formation, stem development, and foliage condition.
27
 Loggers and logging operators are the ones
transforming forest products into different wood
related commodities. They are in-charge of sorting,
cutting, and transporting forest products to the end
users.

Fishers and related fishing workers use nets, fishing

rods, or other equipment to catch and trap various
types of marine life for human consumption, animal
feed, bait, and other uses. Fishing boat captains
plan and oversee fishing operations—the fish to be
sought, the location of the best fishing grounds, the
method of capture, the duration of the trip, and the
sale of the catch.

Basic Skills and

Requirements, Working
Top Occupations Environment, Training and
Advancement, Tenure and
Salary Range9
Agricultural  Knowledgeable in basic
Technologists, farming technology and
Agronomists, Plant maintenance
Pathologists,  Two (2) years for
Foresters, Fishery Technology courses and
Technologists/Aqua- four (4) years for Degree
culturists courses in Tertiary level
education
 Professional License
required
 Work is often physically
demanding, routinary,
done outdoor, and in
rural settings
 Working hours do not
follow 8-hour/day
 Trainings are from
external providers
 Tenure requires 6-12
months in a private

9
Based on DOLE minimum wage rates and DBM Salary grade for entry and
middle level government employees
28
 company while an
eligibility is required in
Government offices
 Salary ranges from
PhP7,000 to PhP15,000
per month
 Knowledgeable in the
Agricultural Engineer, theory and practice of
Entomologists, agricultural production,
Veterinarian machinery/animal care
and medication
 Four (4) to six (6) years
of degree course in
tertiary level education
 Professional license
required
 Work is non-routinary
and done in rural or
urban settings
 Working hours do not
follow 8-hour/day
 Trainings are from
external providers
 Tenure requires 6-12
months in a private
company while an
eligibility is required in
Government offices
 Salary ranges from
PhP17,000 to
PhP25,000 per month
Farm Supervisors  Knowledgeable in the
and Managers overall operations of a
farm coupled with 5-10
years of experience
 Degree or Professional
license can be required
 Work is non-routinary
and done in rural or
urban settings
 Working hours do not
follow 8-hour/day
 Trainings are from
29
 external providers
 Tenure requires 6-12
months in a private
company while an
eligibility is required in
Government offices
 Salary ranges from
PhP15,000 – PhP35,000
per month depending on
the size of the farm and
employees

Table 2. Primary Agriculture Top Occupations and Employment

Conditions

b. Agricultural Manufacturing/Processing
Occupations. There are a wide number of
occupations under the service and manufacturing
operations of Agribusiness. The major activity of the
sector is agro-processing, which transforms almost
all farm products or raw agricultural harvest into
consumable goods. The Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) considers agro-processing as a
subset of manufacturing that processes raw
materials and intermediate products derived from
the agricultural sector between harvesting and final
use. Agro-processing is one of the major
contributors in the total performance and growth of
the agricultural industry especially on exports and
employment.

Food technologists and chemists work as food

processors who handle the transformation of raw
materials (from the farm) into valuable food products
for consumption. Their tasks involve ingredients
preparation, mixing, tasting, and labeling. Major raw
ingredients include meat from poultry and livestock,
fruits, and vegetables. The advanced food
technology and equipment in the workplace recently
enable food processors to increase their output
efficiency, quality, and convenience. Another major
processing operation in Agribusiness is from fish
and aquaculture produce. It produces tons of
processed marine products, which is one of the
30
major sources of export in the country. Canned
goods are common finished products processed by
many of the plants. Other processes include drying,
smoking, and salting.

In many cottage industries, processing of

agricultural products (especially wood and fiber) is
also notable. End products are mixture of crafts,
clothing/textile, accessories, paper products,
furniture, and fixtures. Many of these products are
also used for export.

Basic Skills and

Requirements, Working
Top Occupations Environment, Training and
Advancement, Tenure and
Salary Range
 Skilled in
Food basic/advanced
Technologists, processing technology
Chemists, Fish and hygiene
and Aquaculture  Four (4) to five (5) years
processors, for degree courses in
Dairymen, tertiary level education
Butchers (Butchery and Dairy
processing can be taken
through vocational
courses)
 Professional license
required
 Work is often routinary,
done indoor, and in rural
settings
 Working hours often
follow 8-hour/day
 Trainings are from
internal and external
providers
 Tenure requires 6-12
31
 months in a private
company while an
eligibility is required in
Government offices
 Salary ranges from
PhP10,000 to
PhP30,000 per month
 Skilled in basic carpentry
Accessories, Craft and maintenance
and Furniture  Six (6) Months to 2 years
maker vocational course
 Professional License can
be required
 Work is often physically
demanding, non-
routinary and done
indoor
 Working hours do not
follow 8-hour/day
 Trainings are from
external providers
 Tenure depends on the
contract in a private
company
 Income depends on
output/productivity

Table 4. Agricultural Manufacturing/Processing Top Occupations

and Employment Conditions

c. Agri-Entrepreneurial and Support

Occupations. Agri-entrepreneurial and support
occupations play important roles from the beginning
of the input stage until the final product consumption
stage. These occupations encourage other
professionals from different fields to join the industry
as they do not necessarily require specific
agricultural related degrees. As a whole, these
occupations complete the agribusiness system
combining the upstream and downstream
manpower support to fully meet the production and
marketing cycle (refer to Table 5).

32
 Basic Skills and
Requirements, Working
Top Occupations Environment, Training and
Advancement, Tenure and
Salary Range
Seed growers, Plant  Knowledgeable in
breeders, Greenhouse basic agronomy and
operators farm maintenance
 Two (2) years for
Technology courses
and four (4) years for
degree courses in
tertiary level education
 Professional license
can be required
 Work is often physically
demanding, routinary,
done indoor, and in
rural settings
 Working hours do not
follow 8-hour/day
 Trainings are from
external providers
 Tenure depends on the
contract in a private
company
 Income depends on
output/productivity or
profit
 Knowledgeable in the
Agri-biotechnologists, theory and practice of
Researchers, agricultural production
Extentionists/ in a specific area of
Community expertise
development workers,  Four (4) to five (5)
Economists/Bankers years of Degree course
in Tertiary level
education
 Professional license
can be required
 Work is non-routinary
and done in rural or
urban settings
33
  Working hours may
follow 8-hour/day
 Trainings are from
external providers
 Tenure requires 6-12
months in a private
company while an
eligibility is required in
Government offices
 Salary ranges from
PhP17,000 to
PhP25,000 per month
 Knowledgeable in
Traders/Exporters, basic agricultural
Marketer/Advertisers, production or
Sales representatives, economics
Warehouse operators,  A Degree can be
Cargo forwarders required
 Work is often physically
demanding, non-
routinary, done
outdoor, and in rural
and urban settings
 Working hours do not
follow 8-hour/day
 Trainings are from
external providers
 Tenure depends on the
contract in a private
company
 Income depends on
output/productivity or
profit

Table 5. Agri-entrepreneurial and Support Top Occupations and

Employment Conditions

IV. IN-DEMAND AND HARD-TO-FILL OCCUPATIONS IN

THE SUB-SECTORS10

10
PROJECT JOBSFIT, DOLE, 2010.
34
 A recent study by DOLE concluded that there is a need
not only for top occupations in agribusiness but also for
related occupations link to the operations of the
agribusiness system. The increasing entrepreneurial
activities in the countryside, which boosted the number
of small and medium enterprises, also created jobs
especially for primary agricultural occupations. As
regards hard-to-fill occupations, jobs in food processing
are in great demand. Although jobs related to
management of agricultural production and trading are
also on the rise.

In-demand Occupations:
Animal Husbandry Plant Mechanic
Agricultural Economist Rice Tresher Operator-
Aqua-culturist Mechanic
Coconut Farmer Veterinarian
Entomologist (Plant) Pathologist
Farmer (Fruit, Vegetable
and Root Crops)

Hard-to-fill Occupations:
Food Processor/Food Fisherman
Technician Horticulturist
Fishery Technologist

V. JOB OUTLOOK AND PROSPECTS

A. Industry Outlook. One significant development

in the industry was the institutionalization of various
Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), which offer zero or
minimal tariff in export and import trading among
neighboring countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
The newest of these FTAs is the ASEAN-ANZ,
which eliminates tariffs for import and export of
agricultural products between and among the
Philippines, Australia and New Zealand. This FTA
took effect on 10 February 2010. Philippine
exporters are now able to benefit from the
opportunities presented by this FTA, through
improved market access to the Australian and New
Zealand economy. Beginning in January 2010, most
35
 of the country’s exports to Australia have enjoyed
zero tariffs. And by 2020, nearly all sectors,
especially exporting companies, would benefit when
Australia and New Zealand eliminate tariffs on all
products. The FTA is beneficial to larger
agribusiness firms due to the elimination of tariffs
and larger market access, but may prove to be a
challenge to smaller “backyard” farms. A good
model for business is for companies to partner with
indigenous communities comprised of several
“backyard” farms in order to ship to the export
market, this model has in fact, large potential for
generating employment particularly in areas with
favorable growing conditions for crops (Arangkada
Philippines 2010). This goes for small, natural
organic farmers since many middle-income families
are willing to pay premiums for products such as
free-range chicken and natural-grown tomatoes
which can only be grown by small farmers. Oil palm
trees and rubber trees are easily exportable
although security is a problem in areas for these
plantations. The engagement with FTAs is most
beneficial to the Mindanao region and the crops
grown there since the costs of transporting produce
to other countries is actually cheaper than that of
transporting them to Manila (Arangkada Philippines,
2010).

Another futuristic development in the industry is the

rapid development in the biotechnology sector that
contributed to augmented production in crops and
animal subsectors. This biotechnology has been
taken over by various universities for research
development and applications. Example of this is
the application of genetic modification to create
disease-resistant corn and eggplants and a variety
of delayed-ripening papaya. Experts say that the
country is near the end phase of the first generation
and is entering second generation biotechnology,
which involves the development of crops rich in
amino acids, with high nutritional values and which
provide premium quality and low allergenicity11.

11
Datamonitor, 2010
36
B. Employment Prospects. A significant prospect for
working in the Agribusiness sector is the field of
entrepreneurship. Many students and professionals
alike engage in entrepreneurial activities derived
from the agricultural production. These activities are
usually in the field of processing, buying and selling
and manufacturing. This may not give them
minimum wage or secured monthly income but if
their enterprises are managed well, the income is
way higher than the usual employment contract with
a particular employer. Hence, the role of formal
agricultural entrepreneurship education (diploma
courses or actual 4-year courses) is essential to the
development of the industry. Working in the
agribusiness industry does not limit students to
become farmers, but rather become agricultural
entrepreneurs, agricultural engineers and scientists
and agricultural systems developers.

The El Nino (drought) has had a major negative

impact on agricultural employment, with more than
800,000 jobs lost. This phenomenon contributed to
the rising overall unemployment of the country. On
the potential manpower sources, a declining trend in
the supply of graduates in the Agribusiness sector
has been evident in recent years. Degrees in
Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources (AFNR)
are not usually the top choice in the enrolment of
students in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The
AFNR graduate unemployment has increased to
7.6% per annum, which primarily contributes to the
total unemployment rate in the Agribusiness sector
of 2.6% per annum. This supports the common
belief in the Philippines that employment prospects
in Agribusiness sector are not as attractive
compared to other occupations in leading industries.
On the other hand, the workforce in the

37
 Agribusiness sector is rising at 1% per annum while
jobs (for AFNR graduates) at .07% per annum12.
This indicates that in fact, there is steady demand of
Agribusiness workers.

12
PIDS, Synthesis for the prospects of AFNR graduates/jobs, 2011
38
Selected Sources:

Agriculture Facts and Figures 2010

Arangkada Philippines, 2010. Agribusiness. Arangkada

Philippines, A Business perspective.

Bureau of Agricultural Statistics, (2010). Agricultural Indicators

System Reports.

Bureau of Agricultural Statistics, (2010). Selected Statistics in

Agriculture.

BLES, (1996) .Occupational Injuries Survey.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor,

Career Guide to Industries, 2010-11 Edition,
Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing, on the Internet at
http://www.bls.gov/oco/cg/cgs001.htm (visited
September 07, 2011).

Dy, R., (2005). Closing the productivity gap in agribusiness. Paper

presented in the conference “Policies to strengthen
productivity in the Philippines”, sponsored by the Asia-
Europe Meeting Trust Fund, Asian Institute of
Management Policy Center, Foreign Investment Advisory
Service, Philippines Institute of Development Studies and
the World Bank.

DOLE, (2010). Project Jobsfit.

DOLE National Wages and Productivity Commission, (2011).

Gayo, J.R., (2009). A dual training system approach for agriculture

entrepreneurship. MAP Insights column in BUSINESS
WORLD, 14 July 2009.

Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), (2011)

Synthesis for the prospects of AFNR graduates/jobs.

Web Sources

39
Bureau of Agricultural Statistics, http://www.bas.gov.ph/

Datamonitor, 2010.

Department of Agriculture, http://www.da.gov.ph/

Department of Labor and Employment,

http://www.dole.gov.ph/

Northern Mindanao Consortium for Agriculture and

Resources Research and Development (NOMCARRD),
http://www.internationaleducationmedia.com/philippines/agri
culture.htm

40