TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan - The Department of Agriculture - Regional Field Office 2 (DA-RFO2) had outlined their action plans to mitigate the impact of drought in Cagayan Valley provinces.
Regional Executive Director Narciso A. Edillo said that as early as the first quarter of the year, his office had already laid out their action plans to mitigate the effects of drought especially on corn crops.
He informed that the total estimated loss for totally and partially damaged due to the onslaught of the drought was more or less P2 billion pesos this year.
“We would like to assure the public that the department had initiated measures to help our affected corn farmers cope up with the effects of the calamity though we have limited resources,” he said.
“The reports on damages per affected municipalities in the region were validated by the technical staff of DA RFO2 and the provincial and municipal local government units before they are accepted for reporting,” he clarified.
The corn crop damage report for this 2020 wet season cropping as of August 13 coming from the LGUs include the 77,951 hectares for partially damaged with P1.2 B value of losses and totally damaged of 10,667 hectares amounting to P727 M.
As to actions taken, Edillo mentioned that the DA RFO2 conducted cloud seeding operations which resulted in moderate to heavy and light-moderate to heavy rains benefitting vegetative and reproductive stages of corn.
He said that the regional office had already requested Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar fund amounting to P887 M as rehabilitation assistance for the affected areas.
For the 2019-2020 dry season, the director elaborated that DA-RFO2 received a P28.3 M rehabilitation fund out of the requested P407M from DA Central Office.
“The seeds were already procured and for delivery and distribution this September 2020 Dry Season,” he added.
“We also utilized seeds reserved for 9,090 bags which were distributed to farmers with totally damaged crops due to drought during the Dry Season 2019-2020.”
Edillo mentioned that DA RFO2 distributed 3,000 heads free-range chicken, 440 heads duck, 81 heads goat, and 15 heads cattle worth P2.170 M benefitting 216 farmers under the Livestock and Poultry Assistance and Livelihood Project.
“This is aside from the ongoing procurement of 10,744 heads free-range chicken and 39 heads goat amounting to P3.9 M for distribution to the qualified 1,087 farmer-beneficiaries all over the region,” he said.
He also expressed his gratitude to all local government units in Region 2 that provided assistance to farmers from their own initiatives and resources.
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