THE Department of Agriculture (DA) in Davao Region will be allocating P69,237,680 worth of aid to help more than 4,000 farmers affected by the continuous rains last week in Davao del Norte, Compostela Valley, and Davao Oriental.
It was reported earlier by the Office of the Civil Defense in Davao Region, the agricultural damage in the three provinces brought by the continuous rains and flooding reached P114,615,279.20.
“Last Thursday, the Department of Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol went to Compostela Valley Province to discuss the interventions needed by those in the affected areas,” DA chief information officer Noel Provido in an interview with SunStar Davao.
He said the provinces helped identify the assistance that will be provided to the farmers.
The department also reported that of the total aid allocated, P39.39 million will go to Davao del Norte, P7.97 million to Davao Oriental, and P21.87 million to Compostela Valley.
Assistance to be given to the farmers includes provision of seedlings, farming materials, farming chemicals, and fish fingerlings, among others.
Provido said for the seedlings, they will be getting from their buffer stocks. If it is not enough, they will procure the seeds.
They target a timely distribution of the aid to the farmers to ensure that they will be able to recover quickly.
DA Disaster Risk Reduction Management-Climate Change Adaptation staff Adel Warren Sabelino said they have conducted field validations in the three provinces and produced a masterlist of affected farmers to ensure that they will receive the aid.
“Our reports are based from the agricultural technologists assigned in specific areas. They gauge the level of damage and the possible interventions that we can make,” he said.
Based on the initial reports of DA, 4,831 farmers were affected by the continuous rain and floods last month. Meanwhile, the office also recorded 1,384 hectares of agricultural lands were totally damaged. (Anna Angelica Sotto)