Damage to agriculture attributable to the effects of El Niño surged 50 percent the past two weeks to P2.63 billion from only P1.75 billion on 14 March, according to latest data from the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operations Center.
The DA unit in its advisory on 1 April said the damage impacted 53,879 hectares tended by 54,203 farmers in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula and Soccsksargen.
Crop loss in volume terms equal 116,792 metric tons.
However, of the 53,879 hectares damaged by the weather disturbance, only 10,231 hectares or 18.99 percent have no chance at recovery while the remaining 43,648 hectares or 81.01 percent should recover.
Initial agricultural damage from the cited regions ruined 72,733 MT of rice worth P1.72 billion; 35,885 MT of corn worth P591.74 million; 8,173 MT of high-value crops worth P326.68 million; and 32 heads of livestock and poultry worth over P59,000.
Against this backdrop, the DA provided P1.08 billion worth of assistance to affected farmers.
The largest was in the form of financial assistance to 139,002 farmers in the Cagayan Valley totaling P701.96 million and to 71,795 more farmers in Mimaropa of another P362.56 million.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources also launched 111 diversified alternative livelihood programs for fisherfolk to mitigate possible losses in the sector.
The National Irrigation Administration has also installed 570 water augmentation pumps to ensure there is water in key areas.
The regional field offices in Ilocos, Cagayan Valley and Mimaropa regions have also endorsed the list of affected farmers to the Department of Social Welfare and Development and to the Department of Labor and Employment for other forms of assistance like the provision of food packs and cash-for-work programs.
