Damage wrought by Typhoon Urduja to crops and fishery in six regions of the country has reached P701.61 million, according to the latest assessment of the Department of Agriculture (DA). Field Programs Operational Planning Division Engr. Christopher V. Morales said that as of December 20, 9  a.m., about 17,334 metric tons (MT) of crops planted in 36,896 hectares in Regions 5, 6, 7 and 13 were affected by the typhoon. Morales said the rice sector bore the brunt of the damage of Urduja, accounting for about 58.19 percent of the production losses. Damages to the rice sector was pegged at P408.30 million, based on the assessment of the DA regional field offices (RFOs). “The affected [rice] area is 33,294 hectares, equivalent to 11.4 percent of the total standing crop of 291,746 hectares,” Morales said in a memorandum addressed to Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol, a copy of which was given to reporters on Thursday. “The volume loss incurred has increased from yesterday’s [Wednesday] 4,892 [MT] to 5,395 MT today [Thursday]. Most affected rice crops are at sowing, seeding, newly transplanted and vegetative stages, a majority of which were reported as totally damaged,” Morales added. Latest assessment by the DA showed that losses in high-value crops sector has reached P280 million, or 39.9 percent, of the total estimated production losses, according to Morales. “Meanwhile, the increase on the value of losses in high-value crops is mainly attributed to assorted vegetables [pole sitao, squash, okra, upland kangkong, bottle gourd, bitter gourd, string beans eggplant and pechay] in Region 8,” he said. “Most of these are on their fruit-bearing to harvestable stage. The total affected area for high-value crops is 1,475 hectares, equivalent to 11,726 MT volume loss,” he added. Meanwhile, losses in corn and cassava reached P7.82 million and P2.03 million, respectively, according to Morales. Damages to the corn sector accounted for 1.4 percent of the total losses, with some 2,110 hectares being affected by the typhoon. Morales said production losses of the livestock sector already reached P3.307 million. “Losses in livestock now include 2,489 animal heads [2,534 in poultry, 350 in swine, 307 in goats, 10 in carabao, five in cattle, three sheep and two in horse],” he added. Meanwhile, the value of damages to agri-fisheries facilities of the DA reached P157,000, according to Morales. He added that the latest damage report is still for validation. “The DA-DRRM Operations Center shall continuously monitor and provide further updates to the honorable secretary on the matter, once succeeding reports have been submitted by the concerned RFOs,” he added. Source - https://businessmirror.com.ph