THE Department of Agriculture (DA) is set to roll out at least ₱495.44 million in assistance for farmers and fishers affected by Severe Tropical Storm Crising (international name Wipha) and the enhanced southwest monsoon (habagat), according to its Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Operations Center on Tuesday.
The aid package includes rice, corn, and vegetable seedlings to support the immediate recovery of damaged farmlands in Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, and Western Visayas.
The DA has also activated its quick response fund to rehabilitate affected farms, which are mostly in the early planting and vegetative stages.
Farmers can also access up to ₱25,000 in zero-interest loans through the Survival and Recovery (SURE) Loan Program under the Agricultural Credit Policy, payable within three years.
Registered and insured farmers will also receive indemnification through the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC).
According to DA-DRRM Bulletin No. 7, the agricultural damage caused by Crising and habagat has reached 3,412 metric tons (MT) valued at ₱134.66 million, affecting at least 6,377 farmers and fishers.
“These figures are still subject to change as we continue to assess the situation on the ground,” DA officer-in-charge and Agriculture Undersecretary for Operations Roger Navarro said.
SECTOR BREAKDOWN OF AGRICULTURAL LOSSES
- Rice: 3,075 MT in losses worth ₱121.88 million, affecting 7,911 hectares in Occidental Mindoro, Palawan, Ilocos Norte, Cagayan, Tarlac, Zambales, Bataan, Batangas, Antique, and Negros Occidental.
- Corn: ₱5.34 million in damages.
- High-Value Crops: Eggplant, hot pepper, pole sitao, pineapple, and legumes totaling ₱4.53 million.
- Livestock and Poultry: 262 heads of chicken, swine, cattle, carabao, goat, duck, sheep, and turkey, with losses valued at ₱2.85 million.
- Fisheries: Losses worth ₱44,950, including tilapia and milkfish fingerlings, as well as motorized boats and fishpond dikes, affecting 10 fishers.
- Cassava: ₱9,000 in losses.