MANILA, Philippines — The damage incurred by the agriculture sector from Typhoon "Odette" racked up P11.1 billion, the Department of Agriculture reported on Thursday.
Agriculture in Calabarzon (Region 4-A), Mimaropa (Region 4-B), Bicol (Region 5), Western Visayas (Region 6), Central Visayas (Region 7), Eastern Visayas (Region 8), Zamboanga Peninsula (Region 9), Northern Mindanao (Region 10), Davao (Region 11), SOCCSKSARGEN (Region 12), and Caraga (Region 13) face a long road of recovery, as the DA sees it.
The toll of affected farmers and fisherfolk also expanded, now at 389,316 as of January 6.
The extent of Odette's wrath now extended to 420,465 hectares of agricultural areas leading to a volume of production loss at 259,956 metric tons.
As it is, the DA said it is disbursing at least P2.9 billion of taxpayers' funds to help farmers and fisherfolk.
Crops saved from Odette's devastation still stood at 34,433 metric tons equivalent to P615.53 million for rice while corn harvested before the typhoon, estimated at P82.55 million, remained.