Rehab of 'Pablo'-stricken farms, fisheries underway — Agri Dept.

Rehabilitation efforts are under way in “Pablo”-stricken areas with over P1 billion set aside for farm reconstruction, the Department of Agriculture said late Monday.

 

In a statement, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said he “instructed... [regional officials] to speed up the delivery of services and provision of interventions, so that affected farmers and fisherfok would recover and resume their farming and fishing enterprises.”

 

Initial assistance includes the distribution of 15,719 bags of certified rice seeds, and open-pollinated and hybrid corn seeds. 

 

Thousands of tissue cultured banana plantlets as well as veterinary drugs and biologics for livestock will also be shipped to typhoon-battered places in southern Philippines. 

 

“We are currently implementing measures to help Cavendish banana growers so that they will be able to meet the delivery schedule of their overseas contracts,” Alcala said. 

 

To help exporters meet their commitments, he added that the department “will help them source from unaffected plantations” in Regions 10, 12 and Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

 

The Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation has set aside P22 million to cover the insurance claims of banana farmers.

 

Philippine banana growers said over 14,000 hectares were devastated by Typhoon Pablo, prompting the University of Asia and the Pacific agricultural economist Rolando Dy to say rehabilitation may take at least nine months.

 

The Philippine Coconut Authority will undertake a massive replanting and fertilization program in Davao region, with an initial budget of P50 million, said administrator Euclides Forbes.

 

The National Irrigation Administration has earmarked P1.167 billion for repair and restoration of damaged irrigation systems in Davao (P812 million), CARAGA (P302 million), Region 12 (P49 million), and ARMM (P4.5 million), the statement read. 

 

For the affected fish farmers, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources distributed millions of bangus fingerlings and bamboo poles to reconstruct damaged fish pens, and 1,250 packs of relief goods (rice, water, sardines), totaling P9.3 million, it added. 

 

On Sunday, Alcala said he is confident that farm output will still hit the government's 4.1 percent and 5 percent growth target this year. — SOA/VS, GMA News