Almost half a billion pesos' worth of crops damaged due to dry spell in Cotabato

KIDAPAWAN CITY - Close to half a billion pesos worth of crops have been damaged due to severe hot temperatures in Cotabato, a disaster official said.

According to Engineer Arnulfo Villaruz, Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) operations officer, P470 million worth of agricultural crops were damaged in the province.

At least 8,500 farmers in 13 towns and a component of Kidapawan City were affected, he added.

"The amount will increase as we are still waiting the damage assessment from the towns of Pikit, Arakan, Magpet and Makilala," Villaruz said.

At least 3,500 hectares of corn and rice fields were affected by the dry spell, he added.

The provincial government will provide seedlings to assist affected farmers.

"It will be distributed to farmers during planting season after the devastation," Villaruz said.

Last week, the municipal agricultural office in the municipality of Matalam said there has been no rain in the area since the last week of December.

In Matalam alone, 70 hectares of rice fields remain parched.

Five towns in Cotabato have already declared a state of calamity due to the dry spell. —KG, GMA News