SOME P6,242,680 million worth of agricultural and fisheries products were destroyed in northern Cebu during the onslaught of tropical storm Urduja.
This was based on the initial assessment by the Provincial Risk Reduction and Management Office (PRRMO) last Tuesday.
Damage was reported in San Remigio, Tudela, Poro, Danao City, Compostela, Catmon, Medellin, Tabogon and Daanbantayan.
The affected local government units said they will use the P40 million from the Province Government’s quick response fund, following the declaration of a state of calamity.
In a related development, the giving of agricultural inputs assistance to farmers in Cebu City affected by Urduja will take place on Dec. 27.
Agricultural inputs like seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and plastic molds will be provided to farmers.
Yesterday, the Disaster Risk Council and the City Agriculture office held a meeting to validate the extent of damage and to determine specific areas that were affected by the tropical storm.
According to Arleigh Gesta of the City Agriculture office, 10 upland barangays were affected.
The Cebu City Farmer’s Federation, along with various farmer’s associations in the affected barangays, finalized the lists of recipients. It will then determine the costs of the damaged crops.
“The kinds of crops that were destroyed will be the basis of giving them the inputs they need. So whatever crops they planted and got destroyed, seeds of the same plant they planted will be given. We will also provide seeds that they also prefer,” Gesta said.
The agriculture office’s annual P7-million budget will be used to supply the inputs.
“The affected farmers will be prioritized first for the inputs but we will also provide inputs to those who were unaffected.” Gesta said.
According to Nagiel Bañacia, disaster risk officer, most of the crops destroyed were bananas, tomatoes and eggplants.
He also said that they are on high alert for the arrival of tropical depression Vinta. (Rolyn May Jumao-as, USJ-R Intern & Jaziel Calumpag, USC Intern)