Around 228.80 hectares of rice plantation and74.59 hectares of high-value crops have been recorded by the Department ofAgriculture Cordillera (DA-CAR) as damages left by Tropical Storm ‘Kristine’ inthe region.
In its October 28, 2024, DA-CAR Disaster Risk Reduction Management Information System (DRRMIS) report, the total number of hectares affected by the tropical storm was listed at 303.49 hectares, with theremaining hectares affecting other agricultural products.
The cost of production based on the cost of inputs was at P166,862, while the production loss based on farmgate price was P19.5 million, with the total cost listed at P19.8 million.
Farmers in CAR earlier harvested 28,049 metric tons of rice and 102,300 metric tons of corn before the tropical storm’s entry.
DA-CAR is gathering data on damages from the provinces, which will serve as the basis for the department’s intervention after undergoing the validation process.
Monitoring of actual field situationsfor damage and losses incurred in the agriculture and fisheries sector iscurrently being done by DA-CAR through its Agriculture Program CoordinatingOffices (APCO), aside from the dissemination of advisory to the APCOs, local governmentunits and farmer leaders on farm operation activities, aside from coordinationwith other National and Regional DRRM-related offices, as well as LGUcounterparts in monitoring the impact of the typhoon ‘Kristine’.
DA-CAR has also pre-positioned rice,corn, and high-value crop seeds, drugs, and biologics for livestock and poultryin safe storage facilities, continuously conducted price monitoring forpossible changes in the prices of agricultural commodities, aside frommonitoring of road networks and mobilization of KADIWA trucks for movement andlogistical assistance for agricultural commodities.
Various forms of assistance fordistribution in response to the needs of farmers impacted by the tropical stormparticularly the distribution of agricultural inputs such as rice, corn, andvegetable seeds, drugs, and biologics for livestock will be implemented by thedepartment following validation.
Affected farmers’ will also have accessto the P25,000 loanable amount from the Survival and Recovery (SURE) LoanProgram of the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC), payable in three years at zero interest, and the indemnification of insured affected farmersthrough the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) after undergoing thenecessary validation and evaluation process.
DA-CAR encourages farmers affected bythe tropical storm to report to their barangay, municipal, city, and provinciallocal government units on the effects incurred by their farms due to the typhoon. **JTLlanes
