DA reports P3.06B damage to agri due to Taal eruption
MANILA— Agricultural damage from the phreatic or steam-driven eruption of Taal Volcano has reached P3.06 billion, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).
As of Friday morning, 15,790 hectares of land and 43,774 metric tons of crops have been affected by the volcanic eruption.
The fisheries sector was the most damaged at 52.3%, amounting to P1.6 billion with 6,000 fishcages in the towns Agoncillo, Laurel, San Nicolas and Talisay in Batangas province affected.
Losses on animals, including chicken, carabao, cattle, horse, swine and goat have reached P20.1 million or a total of 1,923 heads.
The DA also reported that the Bureau of Animal Industry had delivered 20 bags of animal feeds, drugs and medicines for rescued livestock. The bureau also deployed a mobile clinic to treat affected livestock and to provide them with feeds.
The Philippine Carabao Center and the National Dairy Authority had also provided 2.5 tons of roughages that will be transported to Batangas.
The Nueva Vizcaya Agricultural Terminal will also donate 10 tons of assorted vegetables, which are expected to arrive early Sunday in Lipa City.
Vegetable farmers in La Trinidad, Benguet will also send up to four tons of assorted vegetables which will be delivered to the evacuation centers in Batangas.
Alert Level 4 is still in effect over Taal Volcano, indicating that hazardous explosive eruption is possible within days.
The volcano’s activity for the past 24 hours was characterized by “weak emission of steam-laden plumes 800 meters high from the main crater that drifted to the southwest,” Phivolcs said Friday. —