Crop damage directly attributable to El Niño has risen 34 percent in May to P5.90 billion from only P4.39 billion in April, according to the Department of Agriculture.
In an advisory the DA attached publicized on Thursday, said the damage was wrought on 104,402 hectares tended by 113,585 farmers in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Davao and Soccsksargen.
The volume of crops lost total 255,467 metric tons.
According to the DA, the El Niño damaged 129,350 MT of rice worth P3.14 billion, 39,407 MT of corn worth P1.76 billion, 26,826 MT of high value crops worth P958.06 million, 2,261 affected fisherfolk claiming P33.83 million, 391 heads of livestock and poultry worth P7.93 million, and 140 MT of cassava worth P3.25 million.
The DA said it has thus far provided P2.18 billion worth of assistance to affected farmers.
The financial assistance was largest among rice farmers in Cagayan Valley and Mimaropa who were provided P1.07 billion.
Another P658.22 million were in the form of production support including inputs, fertilizers, planting materials, pumps and engines, drugs and biologics for regional field offices nationwide.
The Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. also indemnified farmers a total P67.93 million for crop damage.
