AGRICULTURAL damage caused by Tropical Storm Dante (international name: Choi-wan) was estimated at P63.61 million Friday, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said.
The DA said in a bulletin Friday that losses were tallied at 2,309 metric tons (MT), with 1,780 farmers and 2,623 hectares of farmland affected. The storm-damaged regions were Western Visayas, Davao, SOCCSKSARGEN (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, and General Santos City), and CARAGA.
“Affected commodities include rice, corn and high-value crops. These values are still subject to validation,” the DA said in the bulletin.
Losses to rice amounted to P59.4 million, with 2,172 MT of production volume lost across 2,256 hectares.
Damage to corn was P2.6 million, representing 94 MT in lost production affecting 192 hectares.
Losses to high-value crops amounted to P1.7 million on 44 MT in lost production volume and 175 hectares damaged.
According to the DA, 86,448 MT of rice was brought in early ahead of the storm, valued at P1.59 billion across 20,134 hectares in Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, CALABARZON and Western Visayas. Early harvests of corn brought in 42,635 MT worth P720 million in Ilocos Region and MIMAROPA.
The DA said farmers and fisherfolk affected by Dante can avail of assistance from its regional offices, including 170,774 bags of rice seed, 34,820 bags of corn seed, and 11,227 kilograms of assorted vegetables; drugs and biologics for livestock and poultry; and indemnification funds from the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. – Revin Mikhael D. Ochave
