The Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) has reported an additional P5.7 million worth of damage and production losses to the agro-fishery sector of Negros Occidental due to the recent flash floods, making the amount to further rise at almost P60 million.
Provincial Agriculturist Japhet said that from an initial of about P28.5 million on Wednesday, January 13, the damage to crops and fisheries brought by the massive flooding last January 8 to 11 has already surged to P34.2 million.
The amount is on top of almost P17 million worth of losses recorded during the first flooding last January 1, he added.
For the January 8 massive flooding alone, the OPA reported P19 million worth of damage and production losses to the rice sector.
The figure covers 1,073 affected farmers with a total area of 818.91 hectares in 48 barangays of Sagay City, Cadiz City, Manapla, Talisay City, Silay City, Valladolid and Pontevedra.
The high value crops (HVC) sector incurred the second biggest amount of losses, at P8.17 million.
This covers 281 affected farmers of 24.44-hectare farms in nine barangays of cities of Escalante, Cadiz, Talisay and Silay.
For corn, 58 farmers from 15 barangays of Sagay City incurred damage worth P1.11 million. The affected area is totaled to 49.2 hectares.
In terms of the fishery sector, the flash floods, strong winds and strong waves affected some fishponds and damaged 989 fishing gear worth almost P5.85 million.
The amount covers 88 fisherfolk in 26 barangays of Talisay City, E.B. Magalona, Sagay City, Cadiz City and San Carlos City.
The damaged fishing gears included motorized banca, fish cage, lift net, fyke net, shallow water fish corral and oyster raft, among others while the affected area totaled to 149.18 hectares.
The OPA also reported P111,000 in damage to irrigation.
The figure covers damage to infrastructures like diversion dams and intake structure affecting 103 farmers in Silay City and E.B. Magalona.
It can be recalled that on Wednesday, January 13, the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) also reported that the damage to the province’s livestock and poultry sector also increased to about P8.6 million since the first massive flooding for this year hit the province on January 1.
The PVO said that for the flooding on January 8 to 11 alone, the sector already incurred P5.14 million worth of losses.
The amount covers animal raisers in 66 barangays of cities of Escalante, Sagay, Talisay, Silay, Victorias, Bago and La Carlota, and towns of E.B. Magalona, Pulupandan, Pontevedra, San Enrique and Valladolid.
During the flash floods on New Year's day, the PVO reported about P3.5 million worth of damage and losses covering animal raisers in 12 barangays of cities of Talisay and Victorias.
Affected animals included gamefowl, swine, free-range chicken, native chicken, duck and goat, among others.