MANILA, Philippines - Philippine agricultural production dropped 2.4 percent in the fourth quarter of 2009 from a year earlier, bringing the sector's full-year output growth to just 0.37 percent, lower than government estimates, official data showed on Wednesday.

The full year output of the farm sector, which makes up about a fifth of the Southeast Asian country's gross domestic product, was below the government's 0.5-1.5 percent target growth. The sector expanded 3.88 percent in 2008.

Unmilled rice output fell to 16.2 million tons for all of 2009, from 16.8 million tonnes in 2008 due to strong typhoons in September to October. It was the first time harvest of the main crop dropped since 1998 when a severe El Nino episode hit the country.

The government will release full details of 2009 GDP data on Jan. 28.