Agricultural damage from Tropical Depression “Urduja,” which hit some parts of Eastern Visayas and southern Luzon, rose to P1 billion, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).
An aerial shot shows an impassable Caraycaray Bridge after it was destroyed when Typhoon Kai-tak, locally name ‘Urduja,’ ravaged Biliran Province, Philippines December 18, 2017.
Based on latest report, DA Chief for Field Programs Operational Planning Division Christopher Morales said the damage and losses to the agriculture sector caused by Tropical Depression Urduja have already reached P1 billion, affecting a total of 38,973 hectares of agriculture areas in Region 5, 7, 8, and 13 with an estimated losses in volume of production at 23,829 metric tons.
This was just a day after he released a report stating that the damage was already at more than R700 million.
As per Morales, there has been an increase in damage and losses reported in Region 8. The affected commodities are rice, corn, high-value crops, livestock, poultry, and agri-infrastructure and fishery facilities.
“Significant increase in damage and losses has been recorded in all commodities. Rice still contributes to the largest share of losses at 52.84 percent or P532.69 million. The affected area is 34,371 hectares, equivalent to 11.78 percent of the total standing crop of 291,746 hectares,” Morales said.
As of Friday, the volume loss incurred has increased from 5,395 to 6,403 metric tons. Most affected rice crops are at sowing, seedling, newly transplanted and vegetative stages, majority of were reported as total damage.
Meanwhile, the increase on the value of losses in high-value crops was mainly on assorted vegetables (pole sitao, squash, okra, upland kangkong, bottle gourd, bitter gourd, string beans, eggplant, and pechay), banana, and sweet potatoes in Region 8.
The damaged assorted vegetables were mostly on their maturity to harvestable stage, while most bananas and sweet potatoes were on their reproductive to harvestable stage, DA noted.
The total affected area for high value crops reached 2,043 hectares, equivalent to 17,108 metric tons to volume loss. This now amounts to P411.09 million or 40.78 of the total losses.
Cassava now amounts to 216 hectares of area affected, 137 metric tons of volume and R6.05 million. These crops are on their seedling to reproductive stage.
DA also reported of an increase on the losses in livestock due to higher reported in Region 8, particularly in Northern Samar, Leyte, and Biliran.
Losses in livestock now include 3,158 animal heads (2,325 in poultry, 363 in swine, 351 in goats, 55 in carabao, 59 in cattle, 3 sheep, and 2 in horse) that amount to P6.65 million.
For agri-infrastructure facilities, the value of damage has included research and experiment stations reported by Region 8, amounting to P38.33 million. In total, damaged facilities including those reported by DA BFAR hit P38.49 million.
Source - https://business.mb.com.ph
