THE Office of the City Agriculturist reported that a total of 2,651.24 hectares of agriculture and fishery areas have been destroyed by the inclement weather condition that was experienced last week in Zamboanga city.
City Agriculturist Diosdado Palacat said the affected area included rice and corn fields including vegetable farms as well as fishponds and seaweed farms spread out in 23 villages of the city.
Zamboanga City has been placed under the state of calamity as storm surge and flash flood inundated 23 of this city’s 98 villages.
Intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) and the entry of Typhoon Paolo into the country last week triggered the storm surge and flash flood in the 23 villages of the city.
Palacat said the total value of damage to crops and fisheries amounts to P155.604 million with 2,499 farmers affected.
The damages incurred are beyond recovery, according to Palacat.
Of the total area damaged, 1,035.3 hectares are planted with crops with total value of P114,019,739.40. Farmers affected reached 1,135.
For fisheries, the total area damaged is 1,616 hectares with total value of P41,585,000. Number of farmers affected is 2,499.
The breakdown for damaged areas and their total value including number of farmers affected is as follows: Rice – 367.6 hectares, value: P24.241 million affecting 337 farmers; Corn – 266.2 hectares, value: P10.851 million affecting 181 farmers; assorted vegetables – 393.5 hectares, value: P78.517 million affecting 573 farmers; Banana – eight hectares, value: P406,738.000 affecting 43 farmers; seaweeds – 687.8 hectares, value: P18.540 million affecting 1,082 farmers; Fishpond – 928.2 hectares, value: 23.045 million affecting 282 farmers and rubber - .2 hectares. (SunStar Philippines)