El Niño damage to crops now at P357M

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Initial cost of damage to the agriculture sector of the effects of El Niño climbed to P357.38 million as of February 25 from the previous estimate on February 8 of P109.44 million, according to latest data from the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operations Center.

The DA attached agency in its advisory yesterday said damage from the weather phenomenon is equivalent to 6,523 hectares of areas tended by 7,668 farmers in the regions of Ilocos, Mimaropa, Western Visayas and Zamboanga Peninsula.

Initial El Niño agricultural damage from the said regions also amounted to 11,480 metric tons (MT) of rice worth P284.27 million, 2,897 MT of corn worth P60.70 million and 225 MT of high value crops worth P12.41 million.

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The DA said it will distribute vegetable seeds in affected areas as well as planting materials for high-value crops that require less water to help farmers recover from the damage and losses due to the dry spell stoked by El Niño.

DA, in collaboration with relevant agencies like the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration and Department of National Defense-Philippine Air Force, has also started cloud-seeding operations to ease water shortage. – Jed Macapagal

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