THE Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) has reported crop production losses worth almost P8.4 million in Negros Occidental brought by a rat infestation.
The figure accounts for 507 affected farmers with combined areas of 703.66 hectares of rice farms in four local government units (LGUs) in the province.
Provincial Agriculturist Japhet Masculino Tuesday, August 14, said affected are four barangays in San Enrique, 11 barangays in Valladolid, three barangays in Bago City, and four more barangays in Cadiz City.
Masculino said Bago City incurred the highest amount of losses with P6.06 million. The figure covers 344 affected rice farmers with a total area of 467.24 hectares.
Based on initial reports of OPA, 89 farmers with 113-hectare rice farms incurred damage worth about P1.6 million.
In San Enrique, P473,514 worth of production losses was incurred by 61 farmers with 112.45-hectare farms.
The remaining P226,830 accounts for 13 farmers of 10.97-hectare rice farms in Cadiz City, it added.
“We have already informed LGUs, through their respective City and Municipal Agriculture Offices, to strengthen crop protection team and activate Bantay Peste Brigade to lessen possible adverse effects of rat and other pest infestation,” he added.
OPA, in its report submitted to Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. on Friday, August 10, said it has initially released 25 kilograms of rodenticide to affected areas in Valladolid and Bago City.
It also recommended to LGUs the conduct of massive information drive about rodent and rat management.
Masculino urged anew local farmers to insure their crops by enrolling in the province’s Negros First Universal Crop Insurance Program (NFUCIP).
Through NFUCIP, which is in partnership with the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. (PCIC), enrolled farmers may avail of the P17,000 claims per hectare of damaged farms.
Masculino said the enrollment premium per cropping season of P840 is now fully shouldered by the provincial government.
“This is on top of the P50,000 premium for life insurance per farmer,” he said, adding that “farms covered by the program are those planted for not less than 15 to 20 days.”