The Department of Agriculture (DA) ha hiked to P1.5 billion the amount of interventions intended to assist farmers and fisherfolk affected by tropical storm (TS) Maring as its damage to the agri sector already hit P1.9 billion as of 8 a.m.yesterday, October 17.
DA said of the total P1.5 billion assistance, P650 million is allotted for provision of emergency loans to affected farmers and fishers under the SURE Calamity Loan Assistance Program through the DA-Agricultural Credit Policy Council where each affected household can borrow P20,000, at zero interest, no collateral and payable in ten years.
The DA allotted P172 million under its quick response fund for the rehabilitation of affected areas in Ilocos, Cagayan and Cordillera.
At least P370 million worth of crop insurance was also made available by the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. to indemnify affected farmers as P310 million worth of 168,998 bags of rice seeds; 16,601 bags of corn seeds; 1,480 kilograms of assorted vegetable seeds; drug
Maring’s damage is the biggest this year as the nine weather disturbances that affected the country’s agriculture sector caused a total damage of P5.07 billion.
DA DRRM Operations Center said current total cost of damage is equivalent to 91,407 metric tons (MT) of crops and goods tended by 60,195 farmers and fishers in 69,868 hectares (ha) of agriculture areas.
The damage were recorded from the regions of Ilocos, Cordillera, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Bicol, Mimaropa, Western Visayas and Soccsksargen.
Bulk of the damage by Maring was recorded for rice equivalent to P1.4 billion and volume loss of 77,258 MT followed by corn with P144.9 million and 8,624 MT of crops.
Damage sustained by high value crops stood at P79.6 million or 5,526 MT followed by livestock and poultry at P42.4 million equivalent to 19,515 heads of chicken, cattle, swine, carabao, horse, goat, duck, sheep, turkey, rabbit and geese as the fisheries sector suffered with P110.1 million which affected fisheries produce, ponds, dikes as well as fishing boats and gears.
DA said saved production of rice from TS Maring is at 141,635 MT equivalent to P2.08 billion from Ilocos and Cagayan while 55,654 MT of corn with a value of P779.15 million were saved in Cagayan.
