Usman agri damage: P600 million needed for rehab

MANILA, Philippines — Around P600 million is needed to rehabilitate the agriculture sector in Bicol after it was hit by Tropical Depression Usman last year.

The Department of Agriculture (DA)-Bicol office recently submitted a rehabilitation plan to Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol.

The DA regional office said around P550 million would be needed to procure hybrid rice seeds, fertilizers and repair of irrigation systems; P12 million to assist corn farmers, and P10 million to procure vegetable seeds and industrial crops, among others.

DA regional executive director Elena de los Santos said P35.6 million worth of interventions, including 4,150 bags of certified and hybrid palay seeds; 1,560 bags of hybrid corn seeds, and 1,750 kilos of vegetable seeds were provided to affected farmers.

Usman damaged 44,172 hectares of rice fields in Bicol or about 28 percent of its rice farms.

The DA said it expects production loss of 36,925 metric tons in the first quarter of the year.

“The loss can still be recovered with the... distribution of certified and hybrid seeds in newly irrigated areas. But harvesting will be delayed by two months and likely commence in the second quarter of the year,” regional technical director Rodel Tornilla said.

The DA is also implementing its survival and recovery program, which provides emergency loan with zero percent interest, to affected farmers in the region.