DA: Paeng damage to Philippine agriculture hits P3.16 billion

Damage to the country’s agriculture due to Severe Tropical Storm Paeng reached P3.16 billion, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Saturday.

Based on the DA’s Disaster Risk Reduction Management (DRRM) Operations Center data, the volume of production loss was 197,811 metric tons, covering 84,677 hectares of agricultural areas in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, Bicol, Western Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Central Mindanao, and Soccsksargen.

At least 83,704 farmers and fishers were also affected by Paeng, according to the DA.

The department said most of the affected commodities included rice, corn, high-value crops, fisheries, livestock, and poultry.

Also damaged were agricultural infrastructure, machinery, and equipment.

Meanwhile, the DA said the following forms of assistance were available for distribution to affected farmers and fishers: P1.74 billion worth of rice seeds, P11.57 million worth of corn seeds, and P20.01 million worth of assorted vegetable seeds.

There was also aid in the form of P176,000 worth of animal heads, drugs, and biologics for livestock and poultry, as well as fingerlings and assistance to affected fisherfolk from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).

At least P400 million for the Survival and Recovery (SURE) Loan Program of the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC) with a loanable amount of up to P25,000 payable in three years at zero interest and a Quick Response Fund (QRF) for the rehabilitation of affected areas was also available.

“The DA through its Regional Field Offices (RFOs), is conducting an assessment of damage and losses brought by Paeng in the agri-fisheries sector,” the department said.

“The DA continuously coordinates with concerned NGAs, LGUs, and other DRRM-related offices for the impact of the tropical cyclones, as well as available resources for interventions and assistance,” it added.

The reported death toll due to Severe Tropical Storm Paeng (international name: Nalgae) climbed to 155, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Saturday. — DVM, GMA News