Urgent aid sought as ‘Crising’ damage breaches P300 million

Local

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) is pushing for the immediate release of assistance to farmers and fisherfolk who were severely affected by Tropical Strom “Crising.”

DA Francisco Tiu Laurel reported that the damage left by ‘Crising’ has reached P323 million.

In a statement, Tiu Laurel said has ordered Agriculture undersecretaries Roger Navarro and Chris Morales to immediately go to affected areas to render assistance.

"We want our fisherfolk and farmers to understand that the government is very much committed to assisting them, particularly during such trying times," Tiu said per a report by Manila Bulletin.

"Key inputs such as seeds and financing are easily accessible to expedite the recovery of our stakeholders," he added.

According to its recent bulletin, the DA is providing P545.56 million worth of farm inputs, namely rice, corn, and vegetable seeds, to cover affected farmers.

Apart from its rehabilitation and recovery quick response fund, the DA has also rolled out the Survival and Recovery (SURE) loan program of the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC), which has been funded with ₱400 million.

It is under the SURE program that calamity-stricken farmers can borrow up to ₱25,000, payable within three years at zero interest rate.

The Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. (PCIC) has likewise allocated a total of ₱268 million as indemnification for almost 46,000 insured farmers.

More than 30,000 bags of rice stocks from the National Food Authority (NFA) have already been released to affected communities.

The agency added that the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol Region, Western Visayas, and Soccsksargen have suffered losses and damage to rice, corn, cassava, high-value crops, fisheries, livestock, poultry, and farm infrastructure.

The torrential weather has impacted 14,772 farmers and fisherfolk, causing an estimated 10,595 metric tons (MT) and 15,868 hectares (ha) of agriculture loss.

The rice crop suffered the hardest with 66 percent or ₱212.60 million in damages, covering 14,842 ha and production losses of 6,703 MT.

High-value crop damage covered 581 ha, with 2,977 MT output losses worth ₱82.63 million.

Actual losses were also posted by the corn crop amounting to ₱22.13 million, covering 439 ha and production losses of 903 MT.

Livestock and poultry damage amounted to ₱5.33 million, involving 965 animals, such as chickens, swine, cattle, carabaos, goats, ducks, sheep, turkeys, and guinea fowl.(Jeo Ckaji Siwala, HNU-Comm Intern)