Business

'Nina' damage to agri reaches P4B

December 28, 2016 | 4:30pm

Residents clean the road a day after Typhoon Nock-Ten (local name Nina) hit Mabini township, Batangas province, Philippines on Monday, Dec. 26, 2016. The powerful typhoon slammed into the eastern Philippines on Christmas Day, spoiling the biggest holiday in Asia's largest Catholic nation but weakened slightly on Monday as it roared toward a congested region near the country's capital, officials said. They said that Typhoon Nock-Ten had cut power to five provinces as well as displacing thousands of villagers and travelers in Asia's Catholic bastion. AP/Bullit Marquez, File

MANILA, Philippines — The cost of damage to agriculture in areas affected by Typhoon Nina has risen to P4 billion with the rice sub-sector hit worst, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said.

According to the DA’s latest report, the total damage has reached P4 billion covering 65,247 hectares of agricultural areas with an estimated production loss of 268,355 metric tons (MT).

Affected commodities are rice, corn, fisheries and high-value crops affecting about 70,000 farmers in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) and Bicol Region.

Damage incurred on rice soared to P2.4 billion with 168,581 MT of production lost at the 47,144 hectares damaged area.

Furthermore, the value of damage to high-value crops is now placed at P1.3 billion with 75,703 MT of produce lost. Affected were 9,745 hectares of cultivation area.

Losses incurred on corn crops reached P313 million with 24,071 MT of produce lost and 8,358 hectares affected.

The fisheries sector was also affected with reported damage reaching P41.36 million.

Damage to infrastructure and facilities were also reported including DA’s Regional Field Office Research and Experiment Stations in Bicol at P30 million and DA-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources facilities at P41 million.

Bicol sustained majority of the damage with the loss in value pegged at P3.9 billion. An estimated 65,000 hectares and 267,915 MT were affected in the region.

Calabarzon reported a total of 438 hectares affected amounting to about P10.4 million in terms of value loss and 440 MT in production.

Furthermore, the National Irrigation Administration said preliminary reports showed that damage to irrigation facilities reached approximately P74 million covering 3,540 hectares of lands and affecting 3,818 farmers.

Some of the damage in irrigation facilities included the counter fort, diversion works, canal lining, river embankment, and protection works.

Meanwhile, the government has allocated an initial P500 million for rehabilitation efforts for the agriculture and fisheries sectors.

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said P300 million would come from Office of the President and the remaining P200 million would come from the DA.

This would cover the release of seeds and fertilizers, repair of fisheries infrastructure and the rehabilitation of the abaca industry in Catanduanes, among others.

The department is already preparing its resources to replace damaged crops as early as possible and reminded affected farmers to acquire certifications from municipal agriculturists for them to receive replacement seeds.

The DA said buffer stock of 1,500 bags of palay seeds, 1,400 bags of white corn seeds, 2,100 bags of yellow hybrid corn seeds and 9,500 packs of vegetable seeds are available for distribution in Bicol.

It said that complete damage assessment and validation caused by Typhoon Nina remains ongoing and will soon be released.