Cordillera agri damage reaches billions
CLOSE to P6 billion worth of agricultural products were damaged in the Cordillera according to the Department of Agriculture due to Typhoon Ompong.
DA regional director Cameron Odsey in a radio interview explained a quick reaction fund have been set aside by the government to be accessed by farmers affected by the typhoon and allow them to replant their destroyed agricultural produce through seedlings and fertilizers.
“The estimated damage to agriculture in CAR was at P6 billion which includes damages to crops, corn and rice plantations, vegetable produce which were supposed to be ready for harvest but was greatly affected by Ompong. Small portions of poultry and livestock’s and damages to agricultural facilities like irrigation and structures were also recorded,” Odsey explained.
Initially, the government released a Quick Reaction Fund intended for those who incurred total damages in their corn plantation.
“Our program now is the implementation of the Quick Reaction Fund amounting to P130 million which was initially released to those greatly affected by typhoon and which will be used for the planting of seeds in the farms particularly on corn produce which accounts to 50 percent
of the total agricultural damages the region incurred from the effects of Ompong,” Odsey added.
Among the areas having a high yield of corn produce affected by the recent typhoon was Ifugao, Kalinga and parts of Mountain Province.
“Farmers who will avail of the QRF needs to go to the local Municipal Agriculturist which are our partners in the municipalities and barangays who will validate those areas and who will estimate the damages for them to be prioritized,” Odsey stated.
On possible loans to be accessed by the affected farmers, Odsey said the Agricultural Credit and Policy Council (ACPC) may provide for their need to access loans once validated and assessed by the council.
“There is a program of the ACPC which provides for easy loans to our affected farmer organizations which will be assessed by ACPC’s staff in the provinces for them to be able to access fund loans which are to be used in the acquisition of farm seedlings,” Odsey added.