The damage caused by Typhoon Carina and the southwest monsoon or habagat to agriculture reached a staggering P1.17 billion, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Tuesday, July 30.

According to DA’s Bulletin No. 13, a total of 40,904 farmers and fisherfolk were affected by the heavy rains.

The agency said the regions covered in its latest estimate were Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western and Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Soccsksargen and Caraga.

The weather disturbances have affected a total of 42,708 hectares (ha) of agricultural areas in the country.

Of the total affected areas, the DA said 73.74 percent, or 31,491 ha, have a chance of recovery.

However, 11,215 ha, representing 26.26 percent, are beyond recovery.

Per the DA, the country’s total volume loss is 18,086 metric tons (MT).

The agriculture department said that Typhoon Carina and the habagat caused the most damage to rice, which was affected at a rate of 56.51 percent.

The fisheries sector was hit with 30.86 percent of the damage, while the remaining 12.63 percent affected high-value crops, corn, irrigation facilities, livestock, and poultry.

Per the DA, rice has experienced a volume loss of 10,272 MT, resulting in a total value of ₱600.60 million.

Corn has a volume loss of 3,104 MT with a total value of ₱65.40 million.

The total volume loss for HVC is 1,951 MT, corresponding to a value of ₱79.35 million.

In the fisheries sector, a total of 3,334 fishers were affected, with the total damage amounting to ₱360.80 million.

The DA stated that 5,593 livestock, which includes chickens, swine, cattle, goats, sheep, ducks, and buffalo, perished, totaling a value of ₱1.32 million.

Meanwhile, the DA also reported that greenhouses, pigpens, and irrigation canals were destroyed, with a total value of ₱1.6 million.

Aid to farmers, fishers

The agency reported distributing 72,174 bags of rice seeds, 39,546 bags of corn seeds, 59,600 pouches, and 1,966 kilograms of vegetable seeds to farmers impacted by the disaster.

Fisherfolk benefited from fingerlings, fishing equipment, and supplies provided by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).

The DA also made available the Survival and Recovery (SURE) Loan Program through the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC), offering up to ₱25,000 in interest-free loans, repayable over three years.

As such, the Quick Response Fund (QRF) was utilized for rehabilitation efforts, with additional funds allocated via the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation.