A FUNGAL infection, brought by the cold weather since the third week of January, has caused damage to crops and affected farm animals in the mountains of Cebu City.
According to Emilio Secretaria, one of the technicians of the Cebu City Agriculture Office, some leafy vegetables have been affected by the cold weather.
“This started during the Sinulog. It’s been raining for a week straight and there hasn’t been any sun. It has caused some damage in the areas of Sudlon 1 and Sudlon 2. It affected leafy vegetables such as lettuce and pechay. Many of the vegetables are rotten because of the fungus,” said Secretaria.
He also said that a cow died in Sudlon 1, Cebu City on Jan. 24 while other animals are sick.
Sweet corn farms in Barangays Adlaon, Taptap, Guba and Lusaran have also reported damage.
“Makita nato nga bisan dili pa harvestunon, murag nagka-anam na og kalaya ang tanom, pero okay ra siya. Ma-harvest pa na, pero mu-less lang og gamay ang timbang sa ilang produce (We can see that even if it’s not ready to be harvested, it has begun to wilt. But it is fine. They will still be able to harvest it, but this will affect the weight),” Secretaria added.
Apple Tribunalo, head of the Cebu City Agriculture Office, said that though the damage brought by the fungal infection is minimal, they are advising the farmers to insure their farm crops and farm animals.
“Our resiliency measure is to have these crops insured. If there is damage, they can claim insurance,” she said.
She added that farmers know they should build shelter for their livestock in case the weather turns.
To counter the damage brought on by the fungus, the City Government has provided farmers with fungicides.
The cold temperature that has been experienced in Cebu is caused by the “amihan” or northeast monsoon from Japan and China, which are experiencing the peak winter season.
“It is very cold in the northern hemisphere because it is winter there and January is the peak season there. The cold in the Philippines is a spillover from their cold temperature,” Al Quiblat of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said.
He said the coldest temperature recorded in Cebu this year was last Jan. 11, with a minimum temperature of 22.4 degrees Celcius.
“This will last until the second week of February,” Quiblat said. (WITH EOB)