Prolonged dry weather associated with El Niño has depleted many water sources in Negros Occidental, including this small water impounding project in Barangay Man-uling, Cauayan town. (Contributed Photo)
DAMAGE and production losses in crops and livestock in Negros Occidental caused by the persisting dry spell continue to increase, reaching P239.25 million as of Tuesday, January 26, Capitol reports showed.
Sugarcane, the main crop of Negros Occidental, incurred a damage of P163.308 million, the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) reported.
The figure covers six milling districts in 15 local government units (LGUs), affecting 7,909 planters, with a total affected area of 7,544.09 hectares, or 15.4 percent of the 48,975.32 hectares standing crop area.
These milling districts include the Southern Negros Development Corporation (Sonedco) and Dacongcogon, Ma-ao Sugar Central, Biscom Inc., Central Azucarera de La Carlota, Sagay Central Inc., and Lopez Sugar Corp.
For rice, corn, and high-value commercial crops (HVCC), a progress report from the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) showed P73.81 million in damage and production losses.
Affected are 2,472.12 hectares owned by 2,591 farmers in 72 barangays of 12 LGUs.
In the fourth district, 18 barangays in Pontevedra, La Carlota City, San Enrique and Bago City posted a damage of P20.08 million, affecting 302 rice farmers with an area of 393.27 hectares.
Thirty-one barangays across Hinoba-an, Sipalay City, Cauayan, and Kabankalan in the sixth district listed P22.98 million in losses, hitting 1,447 palay farmers in an area of 1,308.27 hectares.
The biggest crop damage and production losses of P30.75 million were recorded in the fifth district, covering 23 barangays in Hinigaran, Moises Padilla, Binalbagan and Isabela. The damage spread over 770.58 hectares, affecting 842 palay, corn, and HVCC farmers.
Provincial Senior Agriculturist Dina Genzola said the rain brought by the northeast monsoon over the past two days has significantly penetrated and helped crops in northern Negros.
Genzola said the volume of rain is enough for affected crops in the north to recover, but “the southern part still needs water.”
Livestock
The extreme heat intensified by El Niño has caused P2.13 million worth of damage to livestock and poultry animals in 22 LGUs, based on the latest report of the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO).
The figures cover P766,965 damage to swine; cattle, P30,800; carabao, P306,000; goat, P98,080; sheep, P46,500; broiler, P423,596; layer, P20,700; free-range chicken, P240,320; gamefowl, P125,000; Pekin duck, P14,850; duck, P33,600; and egg production, P16,200.
Dr. Ryan Janoya, head of Animal Health and Meat Inspection Division, said Tuesday that most of these animals died due to extreme heat and lack of grasses to eat, such as the case of the 12 carabaos in Escalante City, La Castellana, Isabela, and Cauayan.
Swine, which was the most affected, mainly suffered abortions due to severe heat, Janoya said.
The PVO is validating who among the affected animal raisers are enrolled in the livestock insurance program to avail themselves of claims from the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. (PCIC), he added.
Notices of loss
A total of 765 farmers have so far filed notices of loss with the PCIC due to damage and production losses.
Genzola said these farmers, covering 886.24 hectares of rice, corn and high-value commercial crops farms, are just part of the 2,591 dry-spell-affected farmers in the province.
She added that farmers who filed notices of loss are enrolled in the Negros First Universal Crop Insurance Program (NFUCIP) of the Provincial Government, thus they may avail themselves of the P17,000 claims per hectare of farms damaged and affected by calamities like El Niño.
Under the NFUCIP, the enrollment premium per cropping season is P840, of which only P340 is the counterpart of the farmer-enrollees, while the remaining P500 is shouldered by the Provincial Government as loan.
Adjusters from the PCIC are conducting assessments to determine the amount of indemnities that can be claimed by affected farmers, Genzola said.
OPA records showed that in 2015, about 14,000 premiums were already covered by NFUCIP with a total area of more than 13,000 hectares since the program started in 2011.
Of the total farmers enrolled, about 7,500 have already received indemnity claims of not less than P32 million for about 8,000 hectares of damaged crops.
Source - sunstar.com.ph
