The agricultural damage caused by tropical cyclones Maymay and Neneng in the Cordillera, Ilocos, and Cagayan Valley regions has reached PHP583.45 million, the Department of Agriculture - Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operations Center (DA-DRRM) said on Friday.

“Based on assessments made by the DA RFOs (regional field offices), damage and losses have been reported in Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos region, and Cagayan Valley amounting to PHP583.45 million affecting 21,324 farmers and fishers, with the volume of production loss at 36,872 metric tons and 21,986 hectares of agricultural areas,” it said in a bulletin.

In rice production alone, the DA recorded about 35,611 metric tons of volume loss, amounting to PHP500.1 million.

Primarily affected by the loss in rice production were Cagayan, Apayao, Ilocos Norte, and Ilocos Sur.

Besides damage to rice farms, the three regions also sustained agriculture loss in high-value crops, corn, livestock, and fisheries.

For high-value crops, about 763 hectares of the area were affected, with losses estimated at PHP4.33 million. Ilocos Norte was the worst hit, followed by Cagayan and Ilocos Sur.

For corn production, the amount of damage reached PHP19.45 million for 622 metric tons of loss; PHP9.34 million worth of loss was also reported for 1,430 heads of livestock and poultry; while the remaining PHP7.23 million is recorded as loss in agri-fishery, including “milkfish, tilapia, catfish, carp, signanid, nets, motorized boats, and payao.”

The DA, meanwhile, assured affected farmers and fishers of similar aid and interventions, including the distribution of seeds, drugs and biologics, fingerlings, a loan through a survival and recovery program, and rehabilitation interventions using the Quick Response fund.

As of now, some areas in the affected regions, particularly Batanes, Cagayan, Apayao, and Ilocos Norte are bracing for yet another weather disturbance as Tropical Depression Obet continued to move westward toward the Luzon Strait.

Moderate to heavy rains are expected to be experienced in these areas.

Source - https://www.pna.gov.ph