IMPASSABLE Residents remove debris from the flooded Mocag Bridge in Baggao,Cagayan province, in this photo taken on Tuesday. The widespread flooding spawned by Typhoon
鈥淕oring鈥� (international name: Saola) in the province also damaged other bridges and some schools. 鈥擯HOTO COURTESY OF THE BAGGAO DISASTER RISK REDUCTION MANAGEMENT OFFICE
Agriculture damage due to the southwest monsoon (鈥渉abagat鈥�) enhanced by Typhoon 鈥淕oring鈥� (international name: Saola) has surpassed the P500-million mark on Friday, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said.
In its latest bulletin, the DA said losses attributed to the weather disturbance reached P504.4 million, with the bulk at P362.2 million reported by rice farmers.
Records showed that 11,965 farmers in Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) and Western Visayas regions were affected.
The DA pegged the volume of production loss at 21,134 metric tons (MT) covering 19,658 hectares of agricultural areas.
Rice accounted for 71.8 percent of the total, affecting 16,488 MT spanning 13,967 ha. Corn followed with 27.6 percent or P139.1 million.
Damage to high-value crops and livestock and poultry reached P2.7 million and P487,600, respectively.
The total amount was substantially lower than the P4.6 billion worth of damage sustained by the agriculture sector following the onslaught of Typhoons 鈥淓gay鈥� (Doksuri) and 鈥淔alcon鈥� (Khanun) in July.
The DA is ready to provide assistance to farmers, including P100 million worth of rice, corn and assorted vegetable seeds as well as biologics for livestock and poultry.
Farmers, the agency said, could apply for a loan of up to P25,000 through the Survival and Recovery loan program from the Agricultural Credit Policy Council. It is payable in three years at zero interest.
In Negros Occidental, typhoon-related agriculture and infrastructure damage in the province reached at least P167 million.
The provincial government said heavy rains and widespread flooding hit farms in the towns of San Enrique, Pontevedra, Valladolid, Murcia, Pulupandan, Isabela, Hinigaran, EB Magalona, Binalbagan, La Castellana and Don Salvador Benedicto, and the cities of La Carlota, Silay, Bago, Talisay, Himamaylan, San Carlos and Bacolod.