AGRICULTURAL DAMAGE due to rains brought by the southwest monsoon, enhanced by Typhoon Fabian (international name: In-fa), was estimated at P285.73 million, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).
The DA said in a bulletin posted on its Facebook page Tuesday that the adverse weather affected 11,898 farmers and 16,336 hectares of agricultural land in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Ilocos, Central Luzon, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon), Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan), Bicol, and Western Visayas.
Estimates for lost production were at 5,113 metric tons (MT). The affected commodities were rice, corn, high-value crops, and livestock. Estimated values of lost output are still subject to validation.
Damage to rice amounted to P255.8 million. A total of 4,022 MT of production volume was lost across 15,902 hectares of farmland.
Losses to corn hit P25.1 million on lost production volume of 952 MT while 374 hectares of farmland was affected.
Damage sustained by high-value crops totalled P4.6 million. Production volume losses amounted to 139 MT across 60 hectares.
Losses to livestock and poultry amounted to P287,600, equivalent to 97 animals, including swine, ducks, and chicken.
“Based on reports of CAR, Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon and Mimaropa, there is no reported damage to road networks and bridges that can affect accessibility and mobility of food supplies to date. In collaboration with the Department of Public Works and Highways and Department of the Interior and Local Government, there is still regular movement of agri-fishery commodities in these regions,” the DA said.
In advance of the southwest monsoon enhanced by Typhoon Fabian, the DA said P227.94 million worth of rice was harvested ahead of schedule, equivalent to 12,649 MT, across 2,398 hectares in Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, and Calabarzon. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave