SOME eight million metric tons of agricultural crops have been damaged due to the severe heat condition experienced in Zamboanga Peninsula brought about by the El Niño phenomenon, the Department of Agriculture said Friday, April 26, 2024.
Melba Wee, DA-Zamboanga Peninsula assistant director, said the losses to agricultural products were incurred from January to April with Zamboanga City as the hardest hit area.
“We have a production loss of about P238,499,000,” Wee said.
According to Wee, most of the damaged crops were rice, corn, and various high-value crops in Zamboanga City, which has been placed under a state of calamity.
She said the affected high-value crops in Zamboanga Sibugay province include coffee and rubber.
Wee added that most of the affected crops in the provinces of Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga del Norte are rice and corn.
She said they have already distributed palay and corn seeds as part of the assistance to the affected farmers in the region.
Wee said they expect additional assistance to be given to the affected farmers from the agency’s central office.
“Assistance is really needed for the farmers as we have to deal yet for another month before the onset of rainy season,” Wee said. (SunStar Zamboanga)