Mindoro agriculture losses reach P700M

CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro – The agriculture sector in the province has incurred around P700 million worth of products and damage to infrastructures because of the scorching heat.

In a status report, provincial agriculture officer Christine Pine said that as of May 8, 2024, losses from the impact of El Nino were estimated at P702,623,838.94.

Primarily affected are the towns from the second district.

According to the report, a copy of which was furnished to The Manila

Times, the towns of Bulalacao, Mansalay, Bongabong, Pinamalayan and Bansud which are all from the district were severely affected, while Naujan in the first district also reported losses.

Affected products are red onions, melons, banana, cassava, sweet potato, taro, rice, eggplants, ampalaya, squash, tomato pepper, string beans, peanut, mungbean, sweet potato, corn, papaya, bottle gourd, and native pechay.

The municipal agriculture office of Bulalacao said that losses incurred by farmers in the town reached P420,055,600, with planters of red onion losing P325,400,000 and banana planters losing P63,855,000. The town of Mansalay reported losses amounting to P200,320,442.75 where rice farmers are the heavy losers amounting to P61,374,942.75.

The agriculture office of Bongabong reported P52,329,622.23 losses with rice farmers suffering the most while in the town of Bansud,

P10,364,872.50 were lost, with corn farmers suffering the most. Pinamalayan town reported farm losses reaching P7,022,665, with rice farmers losing P6,859,665.

The town of Naujan reported losses amounting to P4,530,636 of corn products.

Pine told The Times on Friday, May 10, that they are still gathering reports from the other towns in the province as her office is deploying their staff to collect data.

The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office said that they would be conducting consultations with the affected communities if there is a need to declare a state of calamity.