Farmers rue flattened crops due to Karding

Nueva Ecija farmer Felix Pangibitan was looking forward to a bountiful harvest of palay in his farmland in two weeks.

However, Typhoon Karding came on Sunday bringing fierce winds and torrential rains that flattened his palay and caused destruction to several provinces in Luzon, according to Bernadette Rees' report on "24 Oras."

Pangibitan said around 60 percent of his palay were damaged.

“Ang losses po nito tantya ko nasa 60 percent na po. Pero yung mga dumapa, ‘yung mga nasa ilalim, wala na po ‘yun. Mabubulok na po ‘yun,” Pangibitan said.

(We can estimate the losses to be around 60 percent.  Those underneath the flattened crops could no be use, they will just rot.)

In Isabela province, another farmer appealed for help as she showed sacks of palay soaked in rains.

According to the Department of Agriculture (DA), rice crops were mostly damaged in the onslaught of the typhoon.

The DA said around 6,571 metric tons of rice plants were destroyed and that they are now looking at Regions 1 and 2 for possible sources of rice supplies.

“Bukod po sa Central Luzon, saan pa tayo pwede kumuha ng bigas papunta dito sa Metro Manila. If we can ensure the sufficiency of supply dito sa Metro Manila, sana po hindi gumalaw ang presyo,” Agriculture Undersecretary Kristine Evangelista said.

(Aside from Central Luzon, we’re looking for where to get rice supplies for Metro Manila. If we can ensure the sufficiency of supply here, hopefully, there will be no effect on the prices.)

Meanwhile, experts said there may be an increase in the prices of rice due to the typhoon.

“This is my bold prediction, we will see a price increase in October -- a substantial price increase. Because of these twin factors of one, inadequate fertilizer application.....and then we were hit during the bad part of the planting season by a destructive typhoon,” former Agriculture undersecretary and agriculture development specialist Fermin Adriano said.

The Agriculture department allayed fears of rice price increase, saying there is enough stocks.

“Based on the data we have for the Quarter 3 and Quarter 4 outlook, marami pa po tayong supply (we still have a lot of supplies),” Evangelista said.

The department also said it is ready to assist affected farmers by distributing free seeds and using recirculating rice dryers.

Those who will need cash assistance, meanwhile, may take out loans by coordinating with the municipal agriculturists or the DA regional offices.—Sundy Locus/LDF, GMA News