DA: Agricultural damage due to Carina, Habagat hit nearly P400M

Damage and losses sustained by the agriculture sector due to the devastation caused by Super Typhoon Carina and the Southwest Monsoon or Habagat have reached nearly P400 million, according to the latest tally from the Department of Agriculture (DA).

In its situation bulletin as 3 p.m. on July 26, the DA reported that the total value of production loss resulting from heavy rains and flooding wrought by Carina and Habagat amounted to P399.91 million. This is equivalent to total volume of production loss at 5,599 metric tons (MT) and 23,256 hectares of agricultural areas destroyed in Ilocos, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western and Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Soccsksargen and Caraga regions.

The weather disturbances also affected 21,785 farmers.

Damaged agricultural commodities include rice (P356.28 million, 4,578 MT), corn (P19.07 million, 545 MT), high value crops (P24.15 million, 477 MT), and livestock (P411,950, 2,508 heads of chicken, swine, cattle, goat, sheep, duck, buffalo).

"These values are subject to validation," the DA said.

Interviewed on Super Radyo dzBB on Saturday, DA Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Arnel de Mesa said that despite the damage incurred by the crop sector, "Hindi natin inaasahan 'yan [shortage sa supply ng bigas, mais, at high value crops] kasi [we are] coming from a very strong harvest last year."

(We do not expect [a shortage of supply in rice, corn, and high value crops] because [we are] coming from a very strong harvest last year.)

"'Yung dry season harvest natin ay maganda rin," de Mesa said.

(We also had a good dry season harvest.)

Meanwhile, the DA said, through its regional field offices and in collaboration with affected local government units and concerned disaster risk reduction and management offices, "is actively engaged in conducting thorough validation and assessment on the impact of the Combined Effects of Southwest Monsoon and Typhoon Carina in the agriculture and fisheries sector."

"Best possible efforts are also being undertaken to carry out assistance and appropriate interventions to the affected farmers," the Agriculture department said.

The DA said it would promptly deploy the following forms of assistance:

• 72,174 bags of rice seeds, 39,546 bags of corn seeds, 59,600 pouches and 1,966 kilograms of vegetable seeds
• Survival and Recovery (SURE) Loan Program from the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC) with loanable amount of up to Php 25,000 payable in three years at zero interest
• Quick Response Fund (QRF) for the rehabilitation of affected areas
• Available funds from the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) to indemnify affected farmers

"The DA-DRRM Operations Center will continuously provide updates regarding the combined effects of the Southwest Monsoon and Typhoon Carina," the agency said. — VDV, GMA Integrated News