He added that fisheries and livestock may not post growth in the second quarter, with crop and poultry output posting minimal gains. There is a perfect storm happening affecting agriculture in general,” Mr. Dar told BusinessWorld via Viber. Mr. Dar added that reluctance to plant could be a factor as farmers respond to the prospect of El Niño and high fuel and fertilizer costs. “We had a relatively good second quarter output (GVA) last year compared to 2025, boosted mostly by the crop subsector. Mr. Montemayor said the impact of high fertilizer prices and El Niño will manifest more strongly later in the year.