Weather disturbances leave P746 million agriculture damage

MANILA, Philippines — The amount of damage to agriculture due to rain and floods this month has reached almost P750 million, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).

Meanwhile, the number of fatalities in the bad weather that has been affecting the country since the start of the year rose to 28 yesterday from 27 over the weekend.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said the number of missing persons remained at three.

Data from the DA showed the shear line, intertropical convergence zone, low-pressure area and the northeast monsoon or amihan destroyed P746.5 million worth of crops and livestock.

The bad weather displaced 36,307 farmers and fishermen in Bicol, Caraga, Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan), Northern Mindanao, the Visayas and Zamboanga peninsula.

Total volume of production loss was estimated at P14.158 metric tons (MT) with 41,721 hectares of agricultural lands in these regions submerged in floodwaters.

Among the affected commodities were rice, corn, high-value crops, and livestock and poultry, the DA said.

Damage in the rice sector amounted to P597.3 million with 33,873 hectares of farms affected and 12,277 MT of produce lost.

The corn sector incurred losses amounting to P113.9 million or equivalent to 1,017 hectares of farmlands.

The total volume loss in the corn sector was estimated at 7,637 MT.

The weather disturbances destroyed high-value crops in 212 hectares of farms, with an estimated total volume loss of P34.4 million.

The total value of losses in the livestock and poultry sector amounted to P1.02 million, with 626 heads of chickens, ducks, sheep, swine, cattle and carabao lost to bad weather.

The DA said it is still monitoring the effects of the weather disturbances and assessing damage and losses brought to the agri-fishery sector.

It said affected farmers and fishermen would be given assistance such as rice, corn and assorted vegetable seeds as well as drugs and biologics for their livestock and poultry.

Farmers and fishermen may apply for a loan amounting to P25,000 each, payable in three years and interest-free through the survival and recovery loan program of the Agricultural Credit Policy Council.

The DA said it would make available its quick response fund for the rehabilitation of affected areas. – Michael Punongbayan