Agriculture damage due to Typhoon Rosita climbs to P2.3 billion

MANILA, Philippines — Damage to agriculture in Northern Luzon due to Typhoon Rosita has soared to P2.34 billion, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).

An updated report of the the DA-Disaster and Risk Reduction Management (DRRM) Operation Center showed that the rice sector was hardest hit with 81,135 hectares of rice fields and 93,895 metric tons of produce valued at P1.85 billion damaged.

At least 5,384 farmers in Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, La Union, Pangasinan, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Aurora, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac and Zambales were affected.

Losses in high-value crops reached P375 million and affected 7,463 hectares of coffee, fruit trees and vegetable plantations in Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya and  Quirino.

Corn production loss was placed at P83 million and affected 9,815 hectares in Ifugao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Pangasinan, Cagayan, Isabela and Nueva Vizcaya.

Damage to livestock was pegged at P2.51 million; fisheries and irrigation facilities, P13.56 million and other agri-facilities, P15 million.

The DA has so far released 14,000 bags of rice seeds, 1,115 bags of corn seeds and 504 bags of high-value crop seeds to affected farmers.

The DA-DRRM Operations Center continues to monitor updates from affected regions for damage and losses incurred due to the typhoon.

Retrieval operations

Meanwhile, the municipal government of Natonin in Benguet said retrieval operations for landslide victims in Sitio Ha’rang, Barangay Banawel would continue until Friday.

Mayor Mateo Chiwayan said 12 persons who were buried inside a Department of Public Works and Highways building remain missing.

Five more bodies were retrieved on Sunday, bringing the total number of fatalities to 17. Fourteen others were rescued during search and retrieval operations last week.

In a risk assessment of the the Mines and Geosciences Bureau released on Oct. 25, Natonin was among those listed with high landslide and flooding risks, contrary to earlier reports.  – With Artemio Dumlao