PASTEURIZERS and rubber sheeters were among the least available equipment in barangays as of 2022, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

In a census report posted on Saturday, the PSA said that only 511 barangays own pasteurizers, which are used in milk and juice processing, while only 541 barangays own rubber sheeters.

The 2022 Census of Agricultural and Fisheries Availability of Agricultural, Aquaculture, and Fisheries Machinery, Equipment, and Services in Barangays also revealed that threshers are the most available piece of equipment in barangays.

“Threshers were present in 19,583 (46.6%) barangays, or nearly half of all barangays covered in the 2022 Census of Agricultural and Fisheries,” the PSA said.

According to the PSA, the province of Ilocos Sur  had the highest thresher coverage at 88.7%, or 681 out of 768 barangays.

Following threshers are transplanters, which were present in 17,813 barangays, and rice mills,  present in 12,376 barangays.

“On the other hand, the availability in barangays of feed mills for livestock, poultry, and aquaculture grew significantly by 35.1% during the same period,” it added.

The most common facilities were traditional fish landing centers, which were found in 9,130 barangays, followed by layer farms (5,080 barangays) and nurseries (4,402 barangays).

“Between 2013 and 2023, there has been considerable growth in the presence of agriculture, aquaculture, and fishing facilities across barangays. This expansion is particularly pronounced for fish landing centers, which significantly grew by 159.2%,” the PSA said.

“Similarly, an increase in facilities to improve volume of poultry and fishery species was observed, particularly the poultry layer farm and aquaculture hatchery, which surged by 77.7%,” it added.

As of 2023, stores or sellers of feed for livestock and poultry were found in 22,727 barangays, while fertilizer and pesticide stores were found in 11,730 and 10,469 barangays, respectively.

The census also revealed an increased availability of rental services for farm machinery and veterinary and para-veterinary services, which grew 22.3% and 13%, respectively.

Meanwhile, individual money lenders, which were present in 20,020 barangays, emerged as the primary providers of financial credit assistance to farmers and fisherfolk in 2023.

The census showed that the number of agricultural households hit 7.07 million in 2022, up 32% from 2012.

Of the total, 3.38 million households were engaged in crop farming, 1.39 million families were engaged in livestock or poultry farming, and 2.31 million households were engaged in both.

The number of agricultural operators also increased 33.3% to 7.41 million in 2022, almost half of which were exclusively involved in crop farming.

However, the census revealed a 19.2% decline in the number of households with livestock and poultry and an 18.7% decline in the number of livestock and poultry farm operators. — Justine Irish D. Tabile