Agri losses from ‘Carina,’ ‘habagat’ reach P4.7B

The country’s farm sector lost P4.73-billion worth of agricultural commodities due to combined effects of the southwest monsoon (“habagat”) and Supertyphoon “Carina” (international name: Gaemi), which battered the country last month.

The Department of Agriculture’s (DA) final bulletin on losses from the weather disturbances, which was released on Wednesday, covered 12 regions.

It affected 137,999 farmers and fishers in the Cordillera, Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon), Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan), Bicol, Western Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Soccsksargen (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, General Santos) and Caraga regions.

The DA said Carina and habagat damaged 68,690 metric tons (MT) of produce covering 82,824 hectares.

Irrigation facilities were mostly affected, comprising 34.72 percent or P1.64 billion of the total damage.

Rice followed with 22.9 percent (P1.08 billion), mostly those newly planted and in vegetative stages.

Fisheries including fishing gears, fish ponds, stock facilities, “payao” (fish aggregating device), fiberglass reinforced plastic and motorized boats, dikes and gates posted damage worth P783.96 million.

Losses in high-value crops amounted to P691.62 million, mainly upland and lowland vegetables, spices, legumes and fruits.

Aid to farmers, fishers

The DA said it was exerting “best possible efforts” to provide appropriate financial assistance and interventions to affected farmers and fishers.

The agency will distribute P301.72-million worth of rice and corn seeds and P17.63-million worth of vegetable seeds as well as prepare biocontrol measures totaling P6.31 million.

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The Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. is prepared to indemnify affected farmers while the Agricultural Credit Policy Council’s Survival and Recovery Loan Program can extend loans of up to P25,000, payable in three years at zero interest.

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources will hand out fingerlings, fishing gears and paraphernalia to affected fishers.

The agriculture sector’s hit from Carina and habagat was higher than the P81.84 million in losses due to Typhoon “Aghon” (international name: Ewiniar) recorded by the agency in May.

However, the extreme heat and lack of rain caused by the El Niño weather phenomenon resulted in the sector recording losses amounting to P9.89 billion, per the DA’s final damage report posted on June 6.