Saving typhoon-damaged rice crops

 

Despite the damage the agriculture sector suffered from Typhoon Lando (international name: Koppu), farmers can still recover some of their rice crops, the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) revealed on Monday.

 

Rice crops that were submerged in water or mud can still be saved by using a combine harvester once the field has dried up.  A combine harvester is a machine that cuts, threshes, and cleans grain crops in one operation.

 

“If the crop submerged in water is easy to drain, a combine harvester can be used provided that there is moisture present in the panicles to minimize grain losses during operation,” said PhilRice agricultural engineer Arnold Juliano.

 

“For submerged crop with drainage problem, manual harvesting is advisable to save the grains from deterioration,” Juliano said.

 

Farmers may also use mechanical dryers during unfavorable weather conditions.

 

Juliano noted, however, that harvested grains must be dried in a temperature not higher than 43 degrees Celsius.

 

Farmers may download a manual on the use of a mechanical dryer available on PhilRice’s website.

 

Queries on how to manage typhoon-damaged crops may also be forwarded to the PhilRice text hotline 0920 911 1398.

 

The latest data from the Department of Agriculture shows that the agriculture sector lost P6.362 billion worth of crops to Lando, with the majority or P5.729 billion in the rice sector. An estimated 383,668 metric tons (MT) of potential production was lost.

 

While 272,006 hectares have been inundated by Lando, 269,694 hectares can still be saved, according to the government.

 

In terms of strength and scope of destruction, Lando was the worst storm to hit the country this year, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. – Jon Viktor Cabuenas/VS, GMA News