By MADELAINE B. MIRAFLOR
Damage and losses caused by Typhoon Ursula on the country's agriculture sector rose to ₱1.35 billion, but the Department of Agriculture (DA) assured delivery of interventions to affected farmers and fisherfolks.
The latest data from the Department of Agriculture's (DA) Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (DRRM) showed that to date, the amount of damage and losses brought by Typhoon Ursula is now at ₱1.35 billion from the previously reported ₱999.40 million.
Updated reports from Bicol Region and Eastern Visayas, particularly for rice, corn and high value crops, livestock, agri-infrastructure facilities and irrigation, caused the increase in the total damages and losses, said the DRRM report.
The volume of production loss on rice, corn, high-value crops, livestock, and fisheries is now at 36,389 metric tons (MT), affecting 29,056 hectares and 79,752 farmers and fisherfolk across MIMAROPA, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Bicol Region and Eastern Visayas.
There are also reported damage and losses on agri-infrastructure and irrigation facilities, the report said.
Typhoon Ursula, the second typhoon to hit the country in December, hit the country on Christmas Day.
Before New Year's Day, Agriculture Secretary William Dar visited Capiz, one of the areas stricken by the typhoon, and ordered the immediate distribution of planting materials, poultry and livestock, fingerlings, fiberglass fishing boats and fishing paraphernalia to affected farmers and fisherfolk.
Moreover, he instructed the chief of the DA Regional Field Office's (RFO) Research Outreach Station in Capiz to produce planting materials for distribution and cultivation in upland and unutilized areas, as well as to establish a 20-hectare demo farm for agroforestry planted with fruit trees and high-value crops.
As for Occidental Mindoro, palay and onion seeds have already been distributed to affected farmers.
DA said additional packs of onion seeds will be distributed next week to cover farmers whose damages and losses were validated and reported in the municipalities of Magsaysay and San Jose.
Dar then assured the farmers and fisherfolk that the Department will fast-track the delivery of interventions to typhoon-stricken farmers and fisherfolk.