Preemptive measures saved billions of crops

The volume of palay harvested three days before the onslaught of the typhoon translates to about P11.6B in cash value

About P12 billion worth of crops were saved from the havoc brought by typhoon “Tisoy” following the preparations made by the Department of Agriculture (DA) prior to the typhoon’s landfall.

With DA’s early warning mechanism in place, rice farmers were able to salvage about 157,000 hectares of paddy rice.

According to Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar, the volume of palay harvested three days before the onslaught of the typhoon translates to about P11.6B in cash value.

“We have an operation center at the DA where we prepare bulletins based on the reports of Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), and we relay these bulletins to the regions that will potentially be affected by any weather disturbance,” he said.

The mechanism allows the DA to notify the regional offices, which then alerts the extension workers and technicians on the ground to inform the farmers.

For corn, about P109 million worth of produce were salvaged from the 2,000 hectares harvested before the typhoon struck.

However, typhoon “Tisoy” caused a spike in the prices of various commodities in the market, including fish and vegetables. During an inspection at the Munoz market in Quezon City on 6 December, Dar noted a slight increase in the value of some food items.

“There are different factors that affect production. The recent typhoon affected provinces that produces fish, that’s why there’s a movement in prices,” he explained.

Vegetables sold in the market, which are normally sourced from Central and North Luzon, have also increased in price due to the typhoon. However, the Secretary stressed that with the forthcoming holiday season, prices are expected to move because of the law of supply and demand.

As of 5 December, agricultural losses from “Tisoy” has reached P2 billion and may increase to another P500 million as additional reports from the affected provinces are coming in.