Agricultural damage from tropical cyclones Luis and Maymay and the enhanced southwest monsoon or “habagat” has exceeded ₱1 billion, based on the latest estimate of the Department of Agriculture (DA).

In a bulletin on Monday, Aug. 17, the DA said the agriculture sector has incurred ₱1.03 billion in losses from the impact of weather disturbances over the past two weeks.

An estimated 25,662 hectares (ha) of agricultural areas have been damaged across the regions of Cordillera, Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, and Western Visayas.

This has affected a total of 30,073 farmers, with production losses estimated at around 25,280 metric tons (MT).

Affected commodities include rice, corn, cassava, high-value crops, fisheries, livestock, and poultry, as well as agri-fisheries infrastructure, machinery, and equipment.

The rice sector accounted for more than half of the total losses, with damage estimated at ₱589.44 million, equivalent to a production loss of 16,105 MT.

Damage to high-value crops, which include bananas, root crops, papaya, and upland and lowland vegetables, reached 7,772 MT, with a value of ₱313.07 million.

“Further damage and losses are expected in affected regions as assessment and validation are ongoing,” the DA said.

The DA said it has prepared ₱177.67 million worth of agricultural inputs such as rice, corn, and vegetable seeds to help farmers recover, alongside 1,007 bags of rice from state-run National Food Authority (NFA).

Meanwhile, state-run Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. (PCIC) has allocated ₱35.67 million in indemnification for 5,005 affected insured farmers and fisherfolk.

The DA said farmers may also tap the Agricultural Credit Policy Council’s (ACPC) survival and recovery loan program to secure zero-interest loans of up to ₱25,000.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel said providing immediate government assistance is necessary to prevent temporary losses from becoming long-term livelihood setbacks.

“We need to respond immediately to the needs of our farmers and fisherfolk after every calamity so they can recover quickly and sustain their livelihoods,” Tiu Laurel said in a statement.