Carina, Habagat damage to agriculture hits P1.21B

The value of losses incurred by the country’s agriculture sector following the onslaught of southwest monsoon (Habagat) enhanced by Super Typhoon Carina has ballooned to P1.21 billion, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said Wednesday.

In its situation report as of July 31, the DA said the amount of damage and losses were equivalent to volume of production loss at 22,088 metric tons (MT) of rice, corn, high value crops, livestock, irrigation facilities, and fisheries destroyed by the weather disturbances.

The combined effects of Carina and Habagat also wrought havoc on 43,530 hectares (ha) of agricultural areas across the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western and Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Soccsksargen and Caraga regions.

The weather disturbances have affected the livelihoods of 46,625 farmers and fisherfolk.

Rice is the most affected commodity with total value loss of P635.17 million, equivalent to 10,639 MT of production volume destroyed.

Fisheries followed with total value loss of P360.80 million, affecting 3,334 fisherfolk.

Losses sustained by the corn sub-sector reached P113.83 million, equivalent to 6,647 MT of crops damaged.

High-value crops, meanwhile, saw P88.81 million worth of production loss with 2,044 MT of volume flattened by heavy rains and floods.

The livestock sub-sector’s losses stood at P10.37 million, equivalent to 12.015 heads of chicken, swine, cattle, goat, sheep, duck, and buffalo killed.

Agriculture infrastructure, machineries, and equipment incurred total damage worth P1.60 million.

The DA said that, through its regional field offices and in collaboration with affected local government units and concerned disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) 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 and fisherfolk,” it said.

The Agriculture Department said it will promptly deploy the following forms of assistance: 

• 77,496 bags of rice and corn seeds and bio control measures worth P305.33 million
• 1,500 kg and 63,494 packs of vegetable seeds and 4,240 cans of biocontrol measure worth P21.46 million
• Fingerlings, fishing gears and paraphernalia from the Bureau of FIsheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR)
• Survival and Recovery (SURE) Loan Program from the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC) with loanable amount of up to P25,000 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,” it said.—AOL, GMA Integrated News