The country’s target palay production of as much as 20 million metric tons (MT) for 2021 is still achievable despite Typhoon Odette’s wrath last month, the Department of Agriculture (DA) assured.
Ariel Cayanan, DA Undersecretary, in an online briefing yesterday said rice crops damaged by Odette are to be harvested during the summer season yet.
The DA has allotted P1 billion in quick response fund for immediate replanting.
Cayanan said current supply of rice in the country is at 115 days, which is deemed sufficient.
The Philippine Statistics Authority said palay production in the first nine months of 2021 hit 12.55 million MT, a 5.5 percent increase from 2020’s 11.90 million MT for the similar period.
As of Monday, damage to the agriculture sector of Typhoon Odette stood at P10.7 billion with additional figures still expected to be added.
Odette’s damage to agriculture is equivalent to 244,924 MT of agri goods tended by 163,760 farmers and fishers in 370,142 hectares (ha) of affected areas.
Bulk of the current recorded damage is from fisheries at P3 billion followed by rice at P2.2 billion; coconut and high value crops at P1.5 billion each; sugarcane at P1.2 billion; irrigation and agricultural facilities at P479.6 million; corn at P432.1 million; livestock and poultry at P413.8 million; and agricultural machineries and equipment at P10.8 million.
The DA said saved crops prior to Odette’s destruction remained at a total of P615.53 million worth of rice equivalent to 34,433 MT harvested in Mimaropa, Western Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Davao Region and Caraga before Odette hit the country. – Jed Macapagal
