DAMAGE to agriculture from Typhoons Luis, Maymay, Neneng and Pilandok, and the southwest monsoon has climbed to P4.38 billion, affecting nearly 100,000 farmers and fisherfolk, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said Tuesday.
The DA’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Center (DRRMC) said 99,663 farmers and fisherfolk were affected, with 81,511 hectares of farmland damaged and production losses reaching 102,791 metric tons (MT).
The latest assessment is its final official damage report on the four typhoons and the enhanced southwest monsoon, the DA-DRRMC said.
Affected areas included the Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol Region, and Western Visayas.
Losses covered rice, corn, cassava, and other high-value crops, as well as fisheries, livestock, and poultry. Agricultural and fisheries infrastructure, machinery and equipment were also damaged.
Rice accounted for the biggest losses at P2.05 billion, covering 73,409 hectares and 65,106 MT of lost production. The volume was equivalent to about 0.32 percent of the government’s 20.29-million-MT rice production target for the year.
Corn losses totaled P127.60 million, affecting 1,984 ha and resulting in 4,707 MT of lost production. This was about 0.05 percent of the government’s annual corn production target of 8.80 million MT.
To help affected farmers and fisherfolk recover, the DA has prepared P609.79 million worth of rice, corn and vegetable seeds and other planting materials.
The National Food Authority has also allocated 9,260 bags of rice for affected areas in Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, and Mimaropa.
The Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. has provided P187 million in insurance payouts to 24,987 farmers and fisherfolk, while the Agricultural Credit Policy Council is offering zero-interest Survival and Recovery (SURE) loans of up to P25,000.
The DA said its regional offices are also implementing comprehensive rehabilitation and recovery plans for the agriculture sector, particularly in areas hit by the recent calamities.
