Philippines
National
Agricultural damage from Typhoon Carina, habagat hits ₱696.87 million
Agricultural damage from Typhoon Carina, habagat hits ₱696.87 million
By Jel Santos
The damage inflicted by Typhoon Carina and the southwest monsoon or habagat to the country’s agriculture sector swelled to ₱696.87 million, the Department of Agriculture (DA) disclosed on Monday, July 29.
The DA said a total of 30,827 farmers were devastated by the weather disturbances.
According to the agency, the regions hit were Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Ilocos (Region 1), Central Luzon (Region 3), Calabarzon (Region 4A), Mimaropa (Region 4B), Bicol (Region 5), Western and Eastern Visayas (Regions 6 and 8), Zamboanga Peninsula (Region 9), Soccsksargen (Region 12) and Caraga (Region 13).
Typhoon Carina and the southwest monsoon have devastated a total of 35,146 hectares (ha) of agricultural land, it added.
Per the DA, 72.42 percent of the total affected areas, or 25,451 hectares, have a chance of recovery.
However, 9,695 hectares, or 17.58 percent, have no chance of recovery.
The agriculture department noted a production loss totaling 13,312 metric tons (MT).
DA’s data showed that rice commodity incurred the biggest damage at 81.81 percent, followed by corn at 9.33 percent, and high-value crops (HVC) at 8.46 percent.
The DA said the rice commodity suffered a volume loss of 9,102 metric tons which was valued at ₱570.14 million.
Corn commodity, on the other hand, experienced a volume loss of 3,104 metric tons which was valued at ₱65.02 million.
High-value crops sustained losses amounting to ₱58.95 million and a volume loss of 1,105 metric tons.
The agency also reported that 5,593 livestock died due to the weather disturbances, with a total loss value of ₱1.17 million.
The DA reported that 72,174 bags of rice seeds, 39,546 bags of corn seeds, and 59,600 pouches plus 1,966 kilograms of vegetable seeds were distributed to farmers affected by the disaster.
Fisherfolk, meanwhile, received fingerlings, fishing equipment, and supplies from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).
The DA also made the Survival and Recovery (SURE) Loan Program from the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC) available, offering loans of up to ₱25,000, repayable over three years with no interest.
Likewise, the DA provided the Quick Response Fund (QRF) for rehabilitating affected areas and allocated funds through the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation.