Crop, fishery, animal losses surge to P85M

THE damage brought by the recent massive flooding to crop, fishery and livestock sectors of Negros Occidental has further surged to almost P85 million, reports showed.

The Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) reported Monday, January 18, that for the January 8 to 11 flash floods alone, the losses are already pegged at P59.39 million.

The figure covers 2,369 farmers and fisherfolk in the province with combined production areas of 2,024.74 hectares.

Of the amount, about P39.36 million worth of damage and losses were incurred by the province's rice sector.

This comprises 1,637.33 hectares of rice farms, affecting 1,804 farmers in 75 barangays of Escalante City, Sagay City, Cadiz City, Manapla, Victorias City, Talisay City, Silay City, Valladolid, Pontevedra and Bago City.

Incurring the second highest amount of damage and production losses, at P8.17 million, is the high value crops (HVC) sector.

The OPA recorded 281 farmers of 24.44-hectare farms in nine barangays of cities of Escalante, Cadiz, Talisay and Silay.

The corn sector incurred about P1.12 million worth of damage. The amount covers 58 affected farmers with 49.2 hectares in 15 barangays of Sagay City.

For irrigation, the flooding damaged diversion dams and intake structure in Silay City and E.B. Magalona amounting to P111,000. At least 103 farmers were affected.

More losses were also noted in the province's fishery sector, now reaching almost P10.63 million.

Reports further showed that 123 fishermen in 30 barangays of Talisay City, E.B. Magalona and Sagay City, Cadiz City and San Carlos City were hit.

About 1,508 units of their fishing gear like motorized banca, fish cage, lift net, fyke net, shallow water fish corral and oyster raft, among others were damaged while 313.771-hectare ponds were affected.

During the first flooding last January 1, the OPA reported almost P17 million worth of losses to crops and fisheries.

Adding to the amount of damage is that of the livestock and poultry sector, totaling to P8.6 million.

The Provincial Veterinary Office earlier reported that for the flooding on January 8 to 11, the sector incurred P5.14 million worth of losses and another P3.5 million during the first flooding last January 1.