Production loss in Albay due to floods totals P13.5 B

MANILA, Philippines - Production loss in the province of Albay resulting from floods has reached P13.5 billion, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).

A total of 2,929 hectares of rice areas in 12 municipalities in the province is now affected by flooding as a result of continuous rain for the past week.

The estimated cost of production loss is about P13, 379,295, according to DA Bicol regional technical director for operations and extension Mari­lyn Sta. Catalina.

In a report submitted to Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, Sta. Catalina said that rice crops are either newly planted or in their vegetative stages as the cropping season has just started.

She said that out of the 2,929 affected areas 85.8 percent or 2,516 hectares were assessed to “have a chance of recovery” and only 413 hectares have no chance of recovery.

The rice-planting season for dry cropping in the province was delayed as the wet season also started late due to the drought caused by the El Niño phenomenon.

The areas greatly affected by the flooding are Tabaco City with over 932 hectares, Legazpi City with over 592 hectares, and Malinao with over 420 hectares.  

The other affected areas are the towns of Camalig, Daraga, Guinobatan, Manito, Mali­lipot, Oas, Polangui and Sto. Domingo.

DA regional executive director Jose Dayao advised farmers whose rice crops have no chance of recovery to replant, and those who have not yet planted, to avail of the discounted palay seeds under the Rapid Seed Supply Financing Project, the implementation of which has been resumed after a temporary deferment last month.

Under the program, eligible farmers would be entitled to one bag (40 kg) of certified inbred seeds per hectare.

The DA, through the National Food Authority (NFA), will provide seed subsidy of P600.

The other half (P600) should be borne by the farmers as their equity.

Eligible to avail of the seed subsidy are landowners, farm tenants, leaseholders and administrators who are actually tilling the land and whose farms are located in rain-fed areas and lowland irrigated areas with an average yield of less than 3.8 metric tons per hectare.

The project, which will end on March 16, is funded through a loan from the International Fund for Agriculture and Development and grant assistance from the European Commission. 

Dayao explained that seed subsidies would soon be replaced by a sustainable and localized seed source scheme in which farmers’ active participation would be encouraged.