THE Department of Agriculture (DA) said that around P5.57 billion worth of palay and corn was harvested before Tropical Storm Ulysses made landfall on the Pacific coast of Luzon.
In a bulletin Tuesday, the DA said rice valued at P5.48 billion was brought into storage in Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon), and CAR (Cordillera Administrative Region).
Total volume was 341,812 metric tons (MT) across 69,716 hectares of farmland.
Meanwhile, P85.62 million worth of corn, equivalent to 6,757 MT, were brought in across 1,550 hectares in the Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, and Central Luzon regions.
“Damage and losses in the agriculture sector are expected from CAR, Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan), Bicol Region, and Eastern Visayas Region,” the DA said.
On Tuesday the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration said Ulysses is likely to make landfall in Quezon Province on Thursday after approaching via Catanduanes and Camarines Norte Wednesday.
In a separate bulletin, the DA said crop damage from Typhoon Rolly (international name: Goni) amounted to P5 billion, up from the previous esti mate of P3.01 billion.
The typhoon affected 42,151 farmers and 126,077 hectares of agricultural land, resulting in the loss of 194,181 MT in produce.
Affected commodities include rice, corn, high-value crops, livestock, as well as various agricultural facilities.
Damage to rice amounted to P1.17 billion, equivalent to 63,960 MT, across 22,924 hectares.
High-value crop losses are now at P1.9 billion. Some 10,569 hectares of land were affected while 114,826 MT was lost.
Other commodities that reported losses include abaca at P1.02 billion, coconut P569.81 million, corn P52.86 million, livestock and poultry P48.65 million, and fisheries P22.28 million.
Damage to agricultural facilities hit P190.78 million, while losses to machinery and equipment was pegged at P875,000. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave
