Over 200,000 hectares of rice and corn have been saved after the onslaught of Typhoon “Rolly,” the Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Monday.
(Photo by Charism SAYAT / AFP / MANILA BULLETIN)
“Due to the early advisory of DA, a total of 242,368 hectares of rice have been saved from Regions I, II, III, IV-A, and V with an equivalent production of 1,071,344 metric tons amounting to P16.96 billion,” the department said in a statement.
“As for corn, a total of 11,132 hectares have been saved from Regions I, II, V, and VIII with an equivalent production of 45,703 metric tons amounting to P579 million,” it added.
The DA assured affected farmers and fishermen that it will provide assistance to them in the form of 133,326 bags of rice seeds, 17,545 bags of corn seeds, and 1,980 kgs of assorted vegetables from DA RFOs, drugs and biologics for livestock and poultry, around 10 million pieces of available tilapia and milkfish fingerlings, as well as fishing gears and paraphernalia, which are ready for distribution.
It added that a Quick Response Fund amounting to P400 million is allotted for the rehabilitation of areas affected by “Rolly,” Survival and Recovery (SURE) Loan Program of Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC), and indemnification fund from the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) to pay for the losses that they incurred.