'Odette' damage to agriculture now at P6B- DA
The agricultural damage wrought by typhoon "Odette" reached P6 billion so far based on the assessment reports of its personnel on the ground.
In a report by the Department of Agriculture (DA), the affected regions were from CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon), Mimaropa (Mindoro Occidental and Oriental, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan) , Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao, Central Mindanao and CARAGA.
The affected farmers and fishers in the latest figures of the DA now totals 68,991, with volume of production losses pegged at 118,426 metric tons in 288,677 hectares of agricultural areas.
The affected commodities include rice, corn, high value crops, coconut, livestock, and fisheries, as well as damage to agricultural infrastructures, machineries and equipment.
But the DA reports said they are still subject to validation.
While the DA has received reports from regional offices of damages and losses, it also collected information of regions that were unaffected by the typhoon as rice and products were harvested.
A total area of 11,454 hectares of rice have been harvested from the following regions, Mimaropa, VI, VIII, IX, XI, and XIII with an equivalent production of 34,433 metric tons amounting to P615.53 million.
As for corn, a total of 2,452 hectares have been harvested from Region IV-A, Mimaropa, VIII, IX, XI, and XIII with an equivalent production of 6,965 metric tons amounting to P82.55 million.
The department, through its Regional Field Offices (RFOs), is conducting assessment of damage and losses in the agri-fisheries sector. The coordination also continues on the affected local government units (LGU).
As for the support to be given by the DA, at least P2.9-billion of ready and available assistance will be provided to farmers and fishermen.
A total amount of P1-billion worth of Quick Response Fund (QRF) will be provided for the rehabilitation of affected areas, while P828 million will come from the PCIC –or the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) – to cover the affected farmers, and P500 million under the Survival and Recovery (SURE) Assistance Program of the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC) for 20,000 farmers and fishermen at P25,000 each.
There is also the P314-million worth of rice seeds, P129-million worth of corn seeds, P57-million worth of assorted vegetables seeds, and the P 47-million worth of assistance to affected fishermen from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).
For the livestock and poultry, P6.6-million worth of animal stocks, drugs and biologics will be provided, while the available funds will come from the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA).