Agri office starts rehab of Pablo-hit farms

AFTER assessing the extent of damage that Typhoon Pablo has caused to Davao Region's agricultural sector, the regional office of the Department of Agriculture (DA) has started its rehabilitation program for affected farmers.

Melanie Provido, chief of the high-value crops of DA-Davao, told Sun.Star Davao on Thursday that after the initial assessment has been done in affected provinces in the region, the government has readily designed measures to assist the affected farmers who have been adversely affected by the typhoon.

Initially, DA-Davao has started the distribution of seeds and planting materials to affected banana farmers in the region.

The assistance will be extended to growers of other high-value crops soon.

"Sa banana ra 'ni. Ang budget gina klaro pa kay wala pa nigawas ang MOA (It's only for the banana sector. The budget will be discussed pending the memorandum of agreement)," Provido said.

Based on the assessment conducted by the DA-Davao, the region's banana sector lost P22.6 billion due to the typhoon.

Of the roughly 80,000 hectares of banana plantations in the Mindanao, about 46 percent of which has been affected.

Among the provinces where agricultural sector has been affected include the provinces of Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental, and Compostela Valley.