The Department of Agriculture said Aug. 2 that damage and losses incurred on agricultural and fishery areas in 15 regions, including Western Visayas, due to the prolonged El Niño phenomenon reached P15.30 billion, with 333,195 farmers and fisherfolk affected.
As per the DA-DRRM Operations Center final bulletin on the effects of El Niño, production losses from the affected agricultural and fishery areas were estimated at 330,717 metric tons (MT) for palay, 327,310MT for corn, 112,681MT for high-value crops, 2,320MT for cassava, and 11,317MT for aquaculture produce, for a total of 784,344MT.
After thorough assessment by the DA regional field offices in areas affected by El Niño, damage and losses have been incurred on agricultural and fishery areas in Western, Central, and Eastern Visayas, the Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol Region, Zamboanga Peninsula, Central Mindanao, Davao Region, Soccsksargen, and Caraga, with an estimated amount of P15.30 billion, in 270,855 hectares of agricultural areas, the report said.
The affected rice area of 109,481 hectares is 5.12 percent of the total target area planted of 2,137,046.77 hectares, while the production loss of 330,717MT is equivalent to around 3.59 percent of the target production of 9,218,358.28MT, both for dry cropping season this 2024, the DA said.
As for corn, areas affected by the dry spell reached 131,787 hectares, or 11.96 percent of the total target area planted of 1,101,695.90 hectares, while the production loss of 327,310MT is 7.28 percent of target production of 4,493,026.90MT, also both for the dry cropping season this year.
The DA said that, to address the adverse effects of El Niño in the agriculture and fisheries sector, it has provided interventions worth around P14.54 billion to affected farmers and fisherfolk.
These include P8.59 billion to 1,431,823 farmers nationwide, through the Rice Farmers Financial Assistance; P4.72 billion worth of production support and financial assistance turned over by DA RFOs and their attached bureaus, agencies, and corporations to farmers, fisherfolk, and farmer cooperatives and associations, during the ceremonial distribution of the Presidential Assistance to Farmers, Fishers and Families.
Around P659.17 million worth of production support, like agri-inputs, fertilizers, planting materials, pumps and engines, HDPE (high-density polyethylene) hose, drugs and biologics, to 40,263 farmers; and P99.68 million worth of Survival and Recovery Aid Loan from the Agricultural Credit Policy Council, among others. ||
