LUNA, Apayao – Apayao reported PhP1,219,639,512.39 worth of losses incurred by high value crop farmers due to Typhoon Marce.
The amount of losses, according to the Apayao Provincial Agriculture Office and Services, account for 2,806.33 hectares of fruit bearing trees and industrial crops, mostly were in their reproductive, maturity and fruiting stages.
Of the total damage, the municipality of Flora shared the highest losses with PhP1,087,734,983 billion from the 1,738.8 hectares of banana plants devastated in barangays Balluyan, Malubibit Norte, and Balasi.
Luna logged PhP55,404,125 losses from their 398.6 hectares of banana, rambutan, calamansi, cacao, avocado and coffee plantations. Pudtol losses reaching PhP44,400,000 from 592.7 hectares of banana and pineapple production; Santa Marcela at PhP25, 337,167 from 41 hectares of rambutan and banana; Calanasan at PhP3,556,357.39 from 6.6 hectares of banana; Kabugao at PhP1,987,380 from 13.8 hectares of banana. Conner was the least affected with a PhP1,219,500 losses from their 15-hectare banana and rambutan.
Data from POAS damage report showed 2,934 farmers cultivating fruit-bearing trees and industrial crops have been affected province wide, showing over 11,736 members of farmer-families will have to outsource other means of living for the next six to 12 months.
In a conversation with HVCDP Provincial Coordinator Engr. Salvador M. Vargas, Thursday, he said damages on other commodities under high value crop classification, such as vegetables and root crops, reached more than PhP18 million.
Meantime, Governor Elias C. Bulut Jr. and Congresswoman Eleanor Bulut-Begtang have been working tirelessly, strategizing available resources of the Provincial government and closely collaborating with the national government, and with the Department of Agriculture to mobilize recovery efforts. By Arjay Baysa
