TABUK, Kalinga -- The Department of Agriculture (DA) released vegetable seeds as calamity assistance to families affected from the last two super typhoons that left at least P30 million worth of damaged crops in the province.

As counterpart, the province released P600,000 from its calamity fund to augment the procurement to be distributed to 500 affected families in Tabuk municipality, 300 families each in Balbalan and Pasil.

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The three towns suffered the heaviest damages from Typhoon Pepeng.

Provincial Agriculturist Gerry Jose said the other municipalities will also be distributed seeds when the additional releases will be made.

In the aftermath of typhoon Pepeng, Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap announced farmers who suffered heavy losses in their crops shall receive assistance from the national government.

Jose said this is part of the assistance coming from the department, integrated in the regular Gulayan para sa masa program, where the fund was sourced-out.

It was too painful for farmers that at the time Typhoon Pepeng battered Northern Luzon, crops were ready for harvest, Jose lamented.

The province is about to be done with its documentation on farmers who suffered total losses and were listed among those to be given extra assistance.

Jose said the quality vegetable seeds are procured from the seeds center in Los Banos, Laguna and can be reproduced by beneficiary farmers. (Larry Lopez)