Agri damage due to Goring now at P375M

The country’s crop sector sustained P375 million worth of damage and losses following the devastation caused by Typhoon Goring, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said Thursday.

The amount of agricultural production loss was higher than the P189.1 million initially reported on August 30.

Based on the latest bulletin issued by the DA-Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operations Center as of August 31, the typhoon affected 8,483 farmers in Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, and Western Visayas.

The volume of production loss stood at 15,856 metric tons (MT) in 16,145 hectares of agricultural areas.  

"Affected commodities include rice, corn, and high-value crops," the DA said.

Rice is the most affected commodity, with a total value loss of P241.8 million, equivalent to 11,712 MT of crops destroyed on 10,562 hectares of land.

Corn followed with P132.4 million worth of damage and a volume loss of 4,130 MT in 5,580 hectares of flattened land.

Meanwhile, the value of high-value crops affected totaled P715,500, translating to a volume loss of 14 MT in three hectares of farmland.

The DA said it made available the following interventions to those affected by the typhoon:

• P100 million worth of rice, corn, and assorted vegetable seeds
• Drugs and biologics for livestock and poultry
• Quick Response Fund (QRF) for the rehabilitation of affected areas

"The DA-DRRM Operations Center will continuously provide updates regarding Goring," the Agriculture Department said.

Goring exited the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Wednesday evening as Severe Tropical Storm Hanna entered the country’s weather monitoring zone.  — VBL, GMA Integrated News