Indonesia's Economy Grows 5.01 Pct In Third Quarter

Jakarta, Nov 5 (Antara) - Indonesia`s economy grew 5.01 percent in the third quarter to reach Rp2,619.9 trillion based on current prices. "The highest growth, of 6.74 percent, as compared to the second quarter was recorded in agriculture, animal husbandry, forestry and fisheries sectors," the head of the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS), Suryamin, said here on Wednesday. The contribution of these sectors to the Gross Domestic Product in the third quarter was at Rp398.4 trillion. The drought had forced farmers to shift from the cultivation of rice and second crops to other food crops such as corn, cassava and soybean. "The third quarter, from July to September, was a dry season that forced farmers to take up non-rice farming," he observed. The fisheries sub-sector grew following the government`s program that revitalized shrimp and fish ponds. "The animal husbandry sub-sector also grew well as a month of Islamic fasting and a post-fasting festival fell during the period, thereby boosting the consumption and production of meat," Suryamin stated. Meanwhile, the service sector recorded the second highest growth. "The service sector grew due to the government`s spending on the 13th salary of its employees and also because of a post-fasting holiday and a new school year," he added.