Nona damage to Central Luzon agri products hits P1.9 B

CABANATUAN CITY, Philippines – Typhoon Nona has damaged P1.9 billion in agricultural products in Central Luzon, reports reaching the Department of Agriculture (DA) showed.

Damage to corn reached P934.3 million; palay, P683 million; and high-value crops, P350.3 million.

Andrew Villacorta, DA director for Central Luzon, said they are verifying the reports by various local government units through their respective provincial and municipal agriculturists.

“The amount of damage is not that huge compared with (Typhoon) Lando, but it is enough to destroy those damaged by Lando and are being rehabilitated,” Villacorta said.

He said field reports show Tarlac sustained the most extensive damage to corn at P658 million; followed by Aurora, P115.5 million; Pampanga, P105.6 million; Nueva Ecija, P36.5 million; Bataan, P16.6 million; and Zambales, P1.8 million.

Damage to palay was estimated at P328.6 million in Pampanga, P260.7 million (Nueva Ecija), P48.3 million (Aurora), P37.9 million (Tarlac), P3.9 million (Bulacan) and P1.5 million (Bataan).

Nueva Ecija sustained the most extensive damage to high-value crops with P350.1 million, followed by P150,350.90 in Bulacan and P26,400 in Zambales.

The DA said 31,120.98 hectares of rice lands; 22, 024.56 hectares of cornfields and 6,655 hectares of lands planted with high-value crops were destroyed.