P290B in agriculture losses from 2010 to 2019 due to climate-related hazards — CRAO

The Philippines has lost more than P290 billion in agriculture from 2010 to 2019 due to climate-related hazards, the Climate-Resilient Agriculture Office (CRAO) said Friday.

During a Senate budget hearing, the CRAO reported that 99.9% of production loss from 2010 to 2019 is due to climate-related hazards with typhoons as the most destructive at 84.56% or P243,082,454,750 worth of production damages.

Moisture stress comes second with 14.58% or P42.413 billion. It is followed by floods at 1.70% or P4.938 billion and pests and diseases at 0.11% or P308 million worth of losses.

Earthquakes have caused P167 million worth of production losses while volcanic activities cost P4.088 million.

CRAO said that more than 95% of the production losses are from damages of crops, fisheries, and livestock.

Rice farmers have suffered the most from the climate-related hazards at 42.12% or P116.142 billion.

This is followed by coconut with P48.873 billion worth of damages, corn with P44.282 billion, banana with P26.826 billion, high-value commercial crops with P18.066 billion, and vegetables at P1.004 billion.

CRAO director Alicia Ilaga said they are giving guidance and tools to farmers. She added they crafted a typhoon risk incidence which shows the history of typhoons in provinces in the last 10 years.

The Senate finance committee has approved the budget of CRAO, as well as the Bureau of Agricultural Research, Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority, and Bureau of Soil and Water Management for 2023.—AOL, GMA News