BAGUIO CITY – The Department of Agriculture in the Cordillera Administrative Region (DA-CAR) has started its risk disaster assessment and needs analysis (RDANA) following days of inclement weather.
“We decided to do it already so that we can start submitting our recommendation for immediate replenishment of plants and determine the appropriate assistance needed by our stakeholders,” DA-CAR Director, lawyer Jennilyn Dawayan, said in a message Tuesday.
She said that with the local government of La Trinidad and the Benguet Provincial Agriculture Office, the RDANA was conducted at a strawberry farm on Monday.
Several strawberry plants and cutflowers went underwater during the height of Typhoon Emong last week, making it difficult for the plants to recover in time for the berry season from November to May.
Dawayan said the conduct of the RDANA “is not just a part of the process following a disaster but a necessary prerequisite to determine the appropriate intervention needed to ensure continued supply of agricultural products for local and national consumption.”
She added that with the persistent rains and winds in the region, they continue to remind farmers to report damage on plants, farms, livestock, fisheries, machinery, equipment, and irrigation facilities, coupled with photos for inclusion in the possible intervention.
The Cordillera Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) has reported 8.34 metric tons of production losses from July 17 to 26 reaching PHP657,404 due to bad weather.
Over 1.25 hectares of farms have been classified as “totally damaged” and 117.89 hectares as “partially damaged.”
“The situation could be different with the continued downpour and rains we are experiencing due to the southwest monsoon,” Dawayan said. **Liza Agoot
