The damage wrought by Typhoon “Aghon” to the country’s agriculture sector reached P11.83 million, the Department of Agriculture (DA) bared on Tuesday, May 28.
The areas affected by the typhoon were Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon (Calabarzon), and Mindoro Occidental, Mindoro Oriental, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan (Mimaropa).
The DA said a total of 432 farmers were affected by the devastation of the typhoon.
“A total of 84 hectares of farmlands were totally damaged, while 155 hectares sustained partial damage that still have a chance for recovery,” the agency reported.
Most of the crops damaged are rice, the agriculture department said.
It noted that losses in production volume are 430 metric tons of rice and 57 metric tons of high-value crops.
The report added that agriculture facilities were damaged.
The DA said it has prepositioned seeds for rice and corn, as well as drugs and biologics for livestock and poultry, in safe storage facilities.
As such, the agency said it is conducting monitoring and field validation to assess the impact on the agriculture and fisheries sectors.
Earlier, state weather bureau Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) reported Aghon is forecasted to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) between Wednesday afternoon and evening, May 29.
According to the tropical cyclone bulletin released by PAGASA on Monday, May 27, the typhoon will continue its northeastward trajectory across the Philippine Sea before leaving the PAR.