Farmers in Mangaldan, Pangasinan are facing steep losses after #KristinePH damaged agriculture products worth an estimated P10 million.

Over 600 farmers were forced to sell their harvested rice at lower prices.

“Mahirap, puro perde ang nangyari, wala na talagang makukuha kami,” Ronaldo de Guzman, a farmer from Barangay Bari, said.

De Guzman harvested his rice crops the week after #KristinePH ravaged parts of the Philippines but had to sell them quickly to rice traders after they were damaged by floods, fetching only a fraction of their usual value.

According to the Mangaldan Municipal Agriculture Office, nearly 400 hectares of rice, corn, and vegetable fields were destroyed by the storm.

“Talagang ang nangyari sa mga pananim mahirap, nakadapa na lahat, wala nang chance of recovery kaya ibenta na nila sa P16 kapag wet,” Municipal Agriculturist Merle Cuison-Sali said.

Even as they continue to deal with the effects of #KristinePH, farmers now have to brace for the possible effects of #LeonPH.

Many have been tying up and reinforcing their rice plants to prevent further damage from flooding, hoping to save what can still be harvested in the coming days.

The agriculture office has prepared assistance packages for the farmers affected, including free seeds and fertilizer, to support recovery efforts.