IN A bid to help farmers cope up with their loses because of past calamities, the Department of Agriculture (DA) in Cordillera and other local government units is set to help restore and rehabilitate agricultural land in the region.
Chief of Planning Monitoring and Evaluation Division of DA-Cordillera Susan Balanza said the region has lost about P2.2 billion in the agriculture industry including different infrastructure connected to agriculture.
"We are currently conducting the restoration of some agricultural areas and rehabilitation of agricultural infrastructure in the region. The local government units are the one implementing this program to help our farmers who have lost their livelihood," Balanza said.
"When the farms are damaged it is automatic that there is no production and no harvest, that is why we are helping affected farmers to help restore their livelihood in partnership with the local government units," Balanza said.
Balanza noted the damage where caused during the onslaught of typhoon Lawin which wrecked havoc October last year affecting agricultural production according to the report of the Philippine Statistics Authority.
Apayao, Benguet, Kalinga, and Mt. Province were among the hardest hit provinces in the Cordillera region during the typhoon.
Agriculture, hunting, forestry and fishing in the region recorded a gross regional domestic product amounting to P23, 219,221 in 2016 compared to the P23, 000,762 in 2015 and in 2014 which is P25, 452,727.
However the region was still the top producer of cabbage in the Philippines which contributed 77.4 percent of the country’s production compared with Central Visayas with 6.8 percent and Northern Mindanao with 5.3 percent.
The region is also the top producer of carrots with 88.8 percent production in the country compared with Central Visayas with 4.9 percent and Northern Mindanao with 1.8 percent.
Cordillera also topped white potato production with 85.9 percent compared with Davao Region with 8.3 percent and Northern Mindanao with 4.9 percent.
"Through the local government units there is a fund given to affected farmers which is currently under distribution. This will help improve production of some of our products," Balanza said.
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