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Ursula causes P782.97-M in agricultural damage – DA

The damage caused by Typhoon Ursula to the agriculture sector has now reached almost P800 million, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said Saturday.

In its typhoon monitoring bulletin, the DA-Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Operations Center said the damages and losses brought by the weather disturbance had increased to P782.97 million from the initially pegged P695.85 million.

"Updated report from Western and Eastern Visayas caused the increase in the total damages and losses," the DA explained.

The volume of production loss on rice, corn, high-value crops, livestock, and fisheries now reached 6,655 metric tons, covering 8,697 hectares of agricultural areas and 56,179 farmers and fisherfolk.

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"There are also reported damages and losses on agri-infrastructure," the DA said. 

"The respective DA Regional Field Offices are currently crafting the rehabilitation and recovery plans for the areas affected by the typhoon," the department added.

In addition to the P60 million fund under the Survival Recovery (SURE) Program of ACPC,  the DA said that the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) had enough funds to pay for the indemnity of all insured farmers and fisherfolk affected by Ursula.

"The concerned DA RFOs (Regional Field Offices) are still conducting field validation regarding the extent of  impact of Typhoon 'URSULA.' The DA-DRRM Operations Center will continuously issue updates regarding Typhoon 'URSULA'," said the DA. — John Ted Cordero/DVM, GMA News