Crop damage from El Nino now at P4.35 billion

April 1, 2019

The Department of Agriculture said crop damage from El Nino has risen to P4.35 billion.

In a report by the department's Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operations Center (DRRM) from its March 28 data of P1.333 billion, the figure soared as of Sunday.

The agriculture department said 149,494 hectares of overall agricultural areas were damaged. The Cordillera Administrative Region suffered greatest damage with 31 percent.

Bicol reported 19 percent, Cagayan Valley 16 percent, Bangsamoro Administrative Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) with nine percent, Northern Mindanao eight, Mimaropa with six, and Eastern Visayas with five percent.

Total production loss in terms of volume was 233, 006 metric tons. Sixty two percent or P2.69 billion worth of rice and 38 percent or P1.66 billion worth of corn were affected, the report said.

El Nino affected 138,859 farmers and fisherfolks, of which 106,845 were rice farmers and 30,014 corn farmers .

However, the department said P95.875 million worth of financial assistance from Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC) was alloted for the Survival and Recovery Assistance Program which will benefit at least 3,835 affected farmers.

"Field validation is still on-going in the affected areas," DA DRRM said in a statement.

The Department of Agriculture is processing documents for areas including Rizal, Occidental Mindoro, Zamboanga CIty, Zamboanga Sibugay, Cotabato, Maguindanao, Negros Oriental to be declared under state of calamity due to El Nino.

"The DA-DRRM Operations Center will continue to monitor and provide further updates on the effects of the El Nino," it added. Cristina Eloisa Baclig/DMS