Loss of crops due to Kristine but 70% saved due to early harvest

CEBU, Philippines — While several towns in the country that felt the onslaught of severe tropical storm Kristine have reported loss of crop production, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel said that around 70 percent of the area planted with rice during this wet season have already been harvested.

Although admitting that typhoon Kristine will definitely hurt the production, Laurel, in a statement, said the DA has initiated early harvesting among farmers and stepped-up rice-buying activities of the National Food Authority as preemptive measure to minimize the damage and increase rice buffer stock.

The agriculture chief, however, admitted that typhoon Kristine will hurt the rice production as it is already supposedly harvest season and the ones that are ready for harvest have been reportedly flooded.

“For now, we have to wait for the actual report to ascertain the damage and the interventions that we need to do to help our farmers and fisherfolk recovery quickly from this calamity,” Laurel said.

DA is also now ready to replant farms damaged by typhoon Kristine once floods subside with seeds while other inputs already prepositioned in agricultural areas on the path of the storm.

Laurel had also instructed the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp., a government corporation under the DA, to immediately process insurance claims to help farmers recover from damages caused by the storm.

The Masagana Rice Industry Development Program has forecast a loss of 358,000 metric tons in the projected palay harvest of 19.41 million metric tons this year, down from the total last year due to the dry spell caused by El Niño and increased rainfall because of La Niña.

DA Undersecretary Christopher Morales, who is in-charge of the Rice Industry Programs, however, earlier said that rice supply by the end of this year should reach 3.83 million metric tons, enough to cover national consumption for 100 days, helped by timely rice importation.

The Department of Budget and Management released to the NFA the P9 billion in palay procurement budget for the fourth quarter. The amount would be enough to buy 7.2 million 50-kilo bags of palay at a price of P25 a kilo accordingly. -  ATO (CEBU NEWS)