DA: Over ₱135M worth of agri damage due to Habagat, Luis, Maymay

The agricultural sector have so far incurred ₱135.3 million worth of damage and losses due to the effects of the Southwest Monsoon (Habagat) and the recent tropical cyclones Luis and Maymay, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said Monday.

According to the ongoing assessment of DA regional offices, the damage were recorded in the Ilocos Region, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, and Western Visayas with 4,516 hectares of agricultural areas affected.

Among the affected commodities include rice, corn, high value crops, livestock, infrastructure, machines, and equipment.

Of the ₱135.3 million worth of damage and losses, rice sustained ₱102.01 million in losses. Corn also saw ₱4.05 million worth of damage.

High-value crops, on the other hand, posted ₱11.92 million worth of losses.

Livestock and poultry also sustained damage worth ₱43,600.

Irrigation facilities and farm structures also sustained damage at ₱16.1 million and ₱1.2 million, respectively.

Further, the monsoon and the tropical cyclones led to 4,465 metric tons of production losses.

The DA also said that the weather disturbances also affected 6,010 farmers.

The Agriculture Department said that affected farmers can avail of ₱106.5 million worth of farm inputs such as rice, corn, and vegetable seeds.

They can also avail of up to ₱25,000 loan from the Survival and Recovery (SURE) Loan Program of the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC). — RSJ, GMA News