Ambo damage to agriculture hits P1 billion

MANILA, Philippines — Damage to the agriculture sector in areas battered by Typhoon Ambo has climbed to P1.04 billion, the Department of Agriculture-Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operations Center reported yesterday.

This covers 20,652 hectares of agricultural lands with production losses at 62,228 metric tons, affecting some 21,655 farmers in Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Bicol region and Eastern Visayas.

The high value crops sector was hardest hit at P756 million or 73 percent of the damage, affecting 6.877 hectares with 47,965 MT. Of that, 87 percent or P602 million are bananas and papayas in Quezon province.

Rice sector damage is at 6,994 hectares of rice fields and 8,205 MT of produce valued at P148 million. Quezon province was severely hit. Damage to the corn sector was valued at P116 million, affecting 6,781 hectares with 6,059 MT. Camarines Sur and Masbate reported the most damage.

The fisheries sector also valued the damage at P19 million, affecting 2,119 fisherfolk. A majority of the damage was recorded in Leyte.

For livestock, damage was estimated at 316 heads of animals worth P347,500. Sorsogon was badly affected.

The DA-DRRM initially said the total areas in the country at risk are 175,954 hectares for rice and 89,303 hectares for corn. These are under reproductive and maturity stages. But due to the early harvest advisory of the DA prior to the typhoon, the department said volume saved is at 416,732 MT of rice valued at P7 billion and 211,827 MT of corn at P2.2 billion.

The DA has a standby quick response fund worth P700 million for the rehabilitation of affected areas and has prepositioned 109,586 bags of rice seeds, 10,116 bags of corn seeds, 1,195 kilograms of vegetable seeds from various regions. Drugs and biologics for livestock and poultry needs, and funds from the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. to indemnify farmers are also available.

Typhoon Ambo (international name Vongfong), which has weakened into a low-pressure area, also forced 20 cruise ships with 8,000 Filipino seafarers on board to leave Manila Bay and seek shelter off the coasts of Cavite and Bataan.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said this further delayed the efforts to repatriate the Filipino workers who were waiting to be taken to South Harbor after their COVID tests showed negative results. Rudy Santos, Rainier Allan Ronda