The damage sustained by agriculture sector from weeks of rain and flooding reached P1.8 billion, the Department of Agriculture said in a briefing Monday.

 

“These are still preliminary data,” Agriculture Undersecretary for Marketing Services Salvador Salacup told reporters. Observe that these figures may still increase in succeeding reports,” he added.

 

The damage to rice crops was placed at P693 million, according to the department, saying that high value crops suffered P11 million in losses; corn, P10.8 million; fisheries, P7 million; and, rice infrastructures, P458 million.

 

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) last week said the damage to the fisheries sector already reached P389 million, but Salacup said the department is keeping to its own estimate of P7 million damage report on fisheries until BFAR figures are verified.

 

Earlier in the briefing, Fisheries Bureau director Asis Perez reported that about 40 percent of the P389 million was lost production and 60 percent pertain to fisheries infrastructure and fishing equipment.

 

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said that the department has no plans at the moment to import rice beyond 500,000 metric tons (MT) for 2012.

 

What the department is concerned with right now are prices of basic commodities amid reports of spikes on vegetable prices.

 

 

“We expect prices to normalize in the next 10 days. If there's a need to intervene, we will coordinate with the DTI [Department of Trade and Industry],” he said. — VS, GMA News