BAGUIO CITY – The Department of Agriculture Cordillera (DA-CAR) is in the process of thoroughly assessing the affected agricultural land damages brought about by Typhoon Egay in the region for the department to provide support and assistance to affected farmers.
In his visit to the province of Abra on July 29, President and Agriculture Secretary Ferdinand Marcos Jr. asked the DA to identify areas that can still be salvaged and areas that would need replanting and provide seedlings and other appropriate assistance.
The DA Regional Office responded that since farmlands are muddy, there would be a need for new seeds and other inputs for replanting rice, corn, and other crops.
The Regional DA Office reported that areas affected include 4,613 hectares devoted to rice with 2,000 farmers, 501 hectares of corn, 616 hectares of vegetables, 126 hectares of coffee, 987 hectares of plants with bananas, and 514 hectares of land with fruit trees.
A thorough assessment of the affected agricultural areas and provisions of appropriate assistance (e.g., fertilizers in areas where there are salvageable crops, seedlings in areas where replanting is possible), and for the DA to ensure that more supply of NFA rice will be available for the region is being undertaken by the DA, with input from the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist.
DA-CAR Regional Technical Director for Operations Danilo Daguio will be turning over the P9.8 million worth of interventions to the Provincial Government of Abra identified farmer-beneficiaries in the province.
Three thousand six hundred identified beneficiaries are set to receive 1,800 bags of certified seeds, 400 beneficiaries will receive 1,000 bags of hybrid seeds, while 2,000 beneficiaries are set to receive P4 million worth of fertilizer discount vouchers.
The department is currently validating the beneficiaries for 200 bags of hybrid yellow corn seeds, 72 bags of glutinous corn seeds, 1 ton of mixed highland vegetables, 200 sachets of lowland vegetable seeds, 132 piglets, 264 bags of hog feeds, and 80,000 doses of animal vitamins, minerals, dewormers, and supplements.
Meanwhile, coinciding the visit of President Marcos to Abra, the DA-CAR distributed 350 kilograms of assorted vegetables to 287 affected families during the conduct of their community pantry.
As of July 31,2023, DA-CAR has recorded around P259 million worth of damages to agriculture in the region affecting 8,233 farmers located in 12 municipalities in Abra, 7 in Apayao, 14 in Benguet including Baguio City, 3 municipalities in Ifugao, 6 in Kalinga, and 5 in Mountain Province, with white and yellow corn, and upland and lowland vegetables as the most affected commodities.
In terms of production losses, the regional DA recorded P247 million with a production loss in terms of metric tons recorded at 56,343.11 metric tons planted in 6,852.93 hectares. Damages to production facilities were recorded at P11,130,000.
8,233 farmers coming from 12 Municipalities in the province of Abra, 7 in Apayao, 13 in Benguet including Baguio City, 3 municipalities in Ifugao, 6 in Kalinga, and 5 in Mountain Province were affected by the typhoon.
