Manila: Agricultural damage has reached PHP3.62 billion following a series of field validations on the impact of recent heavy rains driven by the enhanced southwest monsoon and tropical cyclones Luis, Maymay, and Neneng. This significant loss has affected 86,466 farmers and fishers across eight regions in the country.
According to Philippines News Agency, the latest bulletin from the Department of Agriculture (DA) Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Operations Center detailed that the damage spans 74,809 hectares of agricultural areas, with a resulting 87,745 metric tons (MT) of production losses. The affected regions include the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, and Western Visayas.
The DA-DRRM highlighted that the affected commodities encompass rice, corn, cassava, high-value crops, fisheries, livestock and poultry, and agri-fisheries infrastructure, machinery, and equipment. The rice sector suffered the most substantial blow, with losses amounting to 59,872 MT, valued at PHP1.90 billion. This volume of production loss represents 0.30 percent of the total annual production target volume for rice, which stands at 20.29 million MT.
High-value crops also faced considerable losses, with 22,415 MT affected, valued at PHP1.03 billion. This includes damage to various vegetables, spices, fruits, root crops, and ornamental crops. In fisheries, losses reached PHP412.84 million, comprising damage to fish produce, fishing boats, and related infrastructure. Additionally, corn losses were valued at PHP119.84 million, livestock at PHP26.58 million, and cassava at PHP25.65 million.
Infrastructure losses included PHP67.52 million in irrigation facilities, PHP36.67 million in damaged farm structures, and PHP4.07 million in damaged machinery and equipment. In response to these challenges, the DA has assured necessary interventions to alleviate the impact on local food producers.
At least PHP645.46 million worth of agricultural aid is available, with PHP609.79 million allocated for agricultural inputs for rice, corn, and vegetables. Furthermore, the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation offers PHP35.67 million in insurance payouts for 5,005 insured farmers and fishers. Zero-interest loans of up to PHP25,000 per farmer are also accessible under the Survival and Recovery (SURE) Loan program, which is payable over three years.
The National Food Authority has provided 9,260 bags of milled rice to affected local government units in Ilocos, Cagayan, Central Luzon, and Mimaropa. The DA-DRRM has also established Help Desks at the Benguet AgriPinoy Trading Center and La Trinidad Vegetable Trading Post to assist affected farmers.
To prevent spoilage and wastage of high-value crops, the DA-CAR social media page posts key actions to aid farmers in the region. The DA has also mobilized logistical support by deploying Kadiwa trucks to assist farmers further.
