FLORA, Apayao – The Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office in the Cordillera (DA-RFO CAR), together with the Provincial Agriculture Office personnel, visited Flora on August 1, 2023 to see the extent of damage Super Typhoon Egay did to the agricultural sector in town.
Currently, the DA, in collaboration with local government units (LGUs) and other DRMM-related offices in Apayao, is assessing and monitoring the damages to agricultural land caused by the recent disaster.
The department aims to extend support and assistance to affected/identified farmers and fisherfolk across the country.
This assistance includes the provision of 111,873 bags of rice seeds, 14,426 bags of corn seeds, and 2,582 kilograms of assorted vegetable seeds, drugs and biologics for livestock and poultry, fingerlings assistance to affected fisherfolk, Survival and Recovery (SURE) Loan Program, and P500 million worth of Quick Response Fund (QRF) for rehabilitating affected areas.
In the municipality of Flora alone, hectares of rice, corn, other high-value crops, livestock and poultry, and fisheries were devastated, leading to great losses among local farmers.
The assistance will be made available to the affected farmers once the extent of the damage has been verified.
Flora Mayor Rodolfo Juan expressed the LGU’s commitment to continue cooperating with the DA’s efforts to alleviate the farmers’ burdens brought by the typhoon.
Furthermore, the provincial government pledged its ongoing support and counterpart in providing the aforementioned assistance to farmers. By Jomela Dela Torre