DAMAGES to the agriculture industry by the rains and floods in Davao Region in the past couple of weeks have already reached over P216.49 million, the Department of Agriculture (DA)-Davao Region said.
Based on the progress report of DA-Davao Region, over 10,000 hectares (has.) of rice and corn plantations were damaged as of February 4, 2019. Of this number, 4,480 has. were destroyed while 5,951 has. were damaged. A total of 7,905 farmers were also affected by the recent flooding and heavy rains.
Based on the records from DA-Davao Region, Davao del Norte was the hardest hit with damages amounting to P195.25 million. Almost 90 percent or 4,019.7 has. that were destroyed are also in the province.
Damaged plantations in the province was at 4,446.75 has. which is nearly 75 percent of the total damaged plantations. A total of 6,609 rice and corn farmers were affected by the recent flooding and heavy rains.
Some P20.86 million in damages were recorded in Compostela Valley where 455.95 has. were destroyed and 1,488.75 has. were damaged. A total of 1,284 farmers were affected in the province.
Davao Oriental recorded P375,555 in damages where four hectares of corn plantation were destroyed while 16 has. were damaged. Only 12 corn farmers were affected in the province.
“Mabigat syempre yung ininvest nila biglang nawala... tutulungan naman namin sila,” DA-Davao Region Disaster Risk Reduction Management (DRRM) focal person Roy Pascua said in a text message.
Pascua added that they will be providing assistance to the affected farmers by providing them seeds through the Provincial Agriculture Office based on the Registry System in Basic Sector for Agriculture (RSBSA). He said there will also be risk assistance from the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC).
“Meron pa affected high value crops, livestock or poultry, and fisheries...on going pa ang consolidation,” he said.