DAMAGE to the agriculture industry caused by Typhoon Odette (international name: Rai) has risen to P12.7 billion, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).
The storm affected 396,585 farmers and fishermen across 443,419 hectares of agricultural land, the DA said, with the lost volume of production estimated at 267,809 metric tons (MT).
The fisheries sector sustained damage valued at P4 billion, with 41,181 fishermen affected.
Losses to the rice crop came in at P2.6 billion on volume of 139,399 MT across 114,777 hectares of farmland.
The high-value crop sector, including banana and cacao, tallied P1.6 billion in damage, coconut P1.5 billion and sugarcane P1.2 billion.
Damaged production areas were mainly in the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon), Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan), Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao, Soccsksargen (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, and General santos City), and Caraga regions. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson
