Typhoons batter agri sector

The agriculture sector already began incurring millions worth of losses due to several typhoons that hit the country.

This puts the Department of Agriculture (DA) on a standby mode as to when to release interventions like disbursing seed reserves since another typhoon is expected to hit the country.

DA-Field Programs Operational Planning Division Chief Christopher Morales said that as of Friday, the two typhoons that hit the country — Tropical storms “Inday” and “Henry” — already incurred damages worth nearly 113 million to the agriculture sector.

To be specific, the damages and losses to the agriculture sector caused by Henry and enhanced Habagat have reached 112.34 million, affecting a total of 1,429 hectares of rice paddies in Region IV-A, MIMAROPA and VI with an estimated volume of production loss at 49 metric tons (MT).

The increase in the overall damages and losses is attributed to the reported damages and losses in rice in the provinces of Negros Occidental and Aklan in Region VI.

The affected area is at 1,429 hectares or 0.43 percent of the 333,707 hectares total rice standing crops from Regions CAR, I, II, III, IV-A, MIMAROPA, V & VI.

Most of the affected rice crops are at their vegetative stage, which were reported as partially and totally damaged.

"The DA-DRRM Operations Center will continue to monitor updates from the affected regions for further damages and losses caused by the Tropical Storm," Morales said.

As for “Inday,” the damages and losses to the agriculture sector caused by the tropical storm already amounted to 1124,200, affecting a total of 3 hectares of rice paddies in the Province of Rizal with an estimated volume of production loss at 8 metric tons.

All of the affected rice crops are at their reproductive stage, which were reported as partially damaged.

Moving forward, Morales said the DA has seed reserves that can be disbursed anytime once farmers are ready to plant again.