Agriculture dept. says crop damage reach P14 billion from typhoon
Losses to the agriculture sector caused by Typhoon Ompong increased to P 14.27 billion, affecting a total of 553,704 hectares of agricultural areas with an estimated volume of production loss at 731,294 metric tons.
The increase in the overall damages and losses are attributed to the reports in the Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR), and Cagayan Valley particularly in rice, corn, high value crops and livestock, according to a statement by Agriculture Secretary Manny Pinol in his Facebook page on Monday.
Rice contributed to the largest share of losses at 62.82 percent with an amount of P 8.97 billion and 435,997 metric tons volume of production loss equivalent to 8.64 days rice consumption.
The affected area is 397,204 hectares or 39.91 percent of the total rice standing crops of CAR, Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon and Calabarzon, which is 995,218 hectares.
Most of the affected rice crops were reported to be partially damaged and were on reproductive stage affecting a total of 212,491 farmers.
Provinces heavily affected include Nueva Ecija in Central Luzon amounting to P2.84 billion, followed by Cagayan in Cagayan Valley region with P2.77 billion.
There is a vast increase in the production losses reported in corn, which is attributed to the reports from Cordillera and Cagayan Valley.
Damages and losses amount to P 4.50 billion affecting a total of 148,587 hectares with estimated volume of production loss at 281,039 metric tons.
Most of the affected crops were on reproductive stage, which were reported as partially damaged.
Meanwhile, the losses in high value crops amounted to P 788.13 million affecting 7,913 hectares in Region CAR and the Provinces of Rizal, Cagayan and Isabela.
The volume of production loss is at 14,258 metric tons, which are mostly on their reproductive stage.
As for livestock, losses have been reported in Cordillera, with 20,316 animal heads affected (103 heads in livestock and 20,213 heads in poultry), amounting to P 5.51 million or 1.01 percent of the overall damages and losses.
Damages in irrigation facilities still amount to P15.72 million, affecting small-water impounding projects , impounding dams and spillways in Ilocos Norte. DMS
