TABUK CITY, Kalinga – The Office for the City Agricultural Services (OfCAS) projects a 30 percent reduction in rice harvest this cropping season in the wake of the devastation caused by the successive typhoons to the agriculture sector in the city.
City Agriculturist Lim Ducyogen said that rice harvest may decline to 40 to 70 cavans per hectare from the original target of 80 to 100 cavans per hectare.
Moreover, the OfCAS estimates that Typhoon Nika affected at least 1000 hectares of rice farms in addition to the 4,000 hectares damaged by Typhoon Kristine. He added that most of the damaged crops were at the flowering stage which is most susceptible to the effect of strong winds.
“Yung mga nakaligtas noong Kristin sila ang nadali, yung flower nalaglag yung mga pollen grains kaya hindi na nag-fertilize. Yung mga hindi na-harvest dati lalong dumapa yung iba,” he said.
The OfCAS is currently undertaking an agriculture damage monitoring in all barangays, consolidating agricultural damage reports and conducting onsite inspection of farmlands.
The OfCAS advises farmers to report damage to their rice, corn and high value crops to their office or their respective barangays as they complete the master list to be submitted to the province and DA-Cordillera for possible assistance and other interventions. Further, farmers insured under the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) must immediately report damage to their crops to the PCIC for the prompt processing of their respective claims.
Mayor Darwin C. Estrañero tasked the OfCAS to speed up agricultural damage assessment and assist insured farmers in processing their indemnity payments from the PCIC. He also asked the public, barangay officials, national agency partners, and volunteers to remain vigilant as two more cyclones are forecasted to hit northern Luzon in the coming weeks. By Tabuk PIO
