RICE that could have fed the entire nation for at least eight days was damaged when Typhoon Ompong flooded paddy fields in central and northern Luzon over the weekend, hindering government efforts to lower the price of the staple.
As of Monday, September 17, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said the typhoon damaged paddy fields that could have produced 435,997 metric tons valued at P8.97 billion and “equivalent to 8.64 days rice consumption of the country.”
Lost rice production in the 397,204 hectares affected by the typhoon comprised more than half, or 62.82 percent, of the initial crop losses reported as of Monday and 39.91 percent of the total rice standing crops of the Cordillera, Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon and Calabarzon regions, which is 995,218 hectares.
The DA, in a social media post on the account of Secretary Emmanuel Piñol, said the agriculture sector incurred losses of P14.27 billion as of Monday. This is seen to increase as reports come in from other regions.
The typhoon affected a total of 553,704 hectares of agricultural areas with an estimated volume of production loss at 731,294 metric tons.
These figures covered the Cordillera and Cagayan Valley regions. Products covered were rice, corn, high value crops and livestock.
Most of the affected rice crops were reported to be damaged and were on reproductive stage affecting a total of 212,491 farmers.
Provinces heavily affected include Nueva Ecija in Central Luzon amounting to P2.84 billion, followed by Cagayan in Cagayan Valley with P2.77 billion.
In the corn sector, damage and losses amounted to P 4.5 billion, affecting a total of 148,587 hectares with estimated volume of production loss at 281,039 metric tons.
Most of the affected crops were on their reproductive stage, which were reported as damaged.
Meanwhile, the losses in high value crops also increased to P788.13 million affecting 7,913 hectares in the Cordilleras and the provinces of Rizal, Cagayan and Isabela.
Lost production was estimated at 14,258 metric tons, which are mostly on their reproductive stage.
As for livestock, losses have been reported in the Cordillera region, with 20,316 animal heads affected (103 heads in livestock and 20,213 heads in poultry), amounting to P5.51 million or 1.01 percent of the overall damage and losses.
Damage to irrigation facilities amounted to P15.72 million, affecting small-water impounding projects, impounding dams and spillways in Ilocos Norte. (MVI/SunStar Philippines)