As the agriculture sector continues to sustain damages due to non-stop monsoon rains, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) had sought Congress to grant a P15,000 production subsidy for small farmers during calamities.
“Torrential rains and flooding due to Fabian caused severe effects to farmers in land preparation for the upcoming planting season. As the typhoon and monsoon season started, we can expect more calamities affecting the agriculture and fisheries sector,” KMP said in a statement.
“The government must find diligent ways to immediately give the P15,000 production subsidy to farmers and fisherfolk,” it added.
KMP proceeded to urge Congress to include the production subsidy and cash aid demands of sectors in the 2022 national budget, especially as budget deliberations are due to start soon.
Based on the latest report of the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (DRRM), the country’s agriculture sector already recorded P615.72 million worth of damage and losses due to non-stop heavy rains, enhanced by Typhoon Fabian last week.
So far, there are 24,596 affected farmers, while the volume of production loss stood at 9,777 metric tons (MT). Affected commodities include rice, corn, high-value crops, livestock and poultry, fisheries, and agri-infrastructures.
Meanwhile, there are 30,916 hectares of agricultural areas in Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Ilocos Region, Central Luzon, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, Bicol Region and Western Visayas that were affected.
The Cordillera Autonomous Region, and regions I, II, III, CALABARZON, and MIMAROPA reported no damage on road networks and bridges that can affect accessibility and mobility of food supplies to date.
“Likewise, in collaboration with the Department of Public Works and Highways and Department of the Interior and Local Government, there is still a regular movement of agri-fishery commodities in these regions,” DA said.
The DA, through its Regional Field Offices, is now conducting further assessment and validation of damage and losses brought by the Southwest Monsoon enhanced by Fabian.
Moreover, the DA said it is in close coordination with concerned national government agencies, local government units (LGUs), and other DRRM-related offices for the impact of the recent heavy rains.