About P7.4 million worth of rice crops in Valladolid were damaged by floods triggered by heavy rains in Negros Occidental on Jan. 8.
The crop damage in the 11 barangays of the southern Negros town was the highest out of the P11.4 million reported in the different districts.
Data submitted by the Municipal Agriculture Office to the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist showed that total of 250 hectares of rice plantations were affected.
These included rice crops in different stages in Barangays Alijis, Guintorilan, Tayabas, Batwan and Ayungon considered as damaged and those in other barangays considered partially damaged.
Mayor Enrique Miravalles said hundreds of hectares of harvestable and some in vegetative stage rice crops were submerged in knee-deep flood waters after two days of moderate to heavy rains, affecting 141 farmers.
Silay City reported 156.11 hectares of damaged rice plantation amounting to P3.7 million. This affected 384 farmers in five barangays.
In Manapla, 23 farmers from four barangays that reported to have incurred rice crop damage because of flood. The estimated damage cost is P189,510 , and the Talisay City also recorded 22 rice farmers from two barangays to have affected by flood water last January 8 with estimated damage cost of P72,662.00.
Provincial Agriculturist Japhet Masculino said, his office is studying possibility of helping the affected farmers particularly those who were not covered by the crop insurance program of the province.
Damages to other crops, livestocks as well as to fisheries are still being evaluated by surveyors in the field. – MML
