Damage to the agriculture sector of Tropical Depression Agaton continues to climb, hitting P3.27 billion , according to latest data from the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operations Center.
The DA attached agency said as of 10 a.m. on Monday, Agaton’s total cost of damage is equivalent to 90,889 metric tons of goods tended by 73,891 farmers and fishers in 32,689 hectares of affected areas.
Agaton’s damage surpassed the P2.3 billion from last year’s tropical storm Maring.
The current monitoring captured data from Bicol, Western Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Davao Region, Soccsksargen and Caraga, with additional damage and losses still expected to be recorded, the DA added.
The agency said the increase is mainly due to additional reports of damage in Western and Eastern Visayas.
Bulk of Agaton’s recorded damage remain from rice at P1.3 billion followed by fisheries at P930.5 million, irrigation and agri facilities at P576.2 million, high value crops at P301.7 million, livestock and poultry at P63.9 million, corn at P60.3 million, as well as machineries and equipment at P1.8 million.
The DA said readily-available assistance that will be provided to farmers and fisherfolk affected is still at least P723.07 million. Of that, P500 million will be from quick response fund for the rehabilitation of affected areas; P100 million under the survival and recovery assistance program of the Agricultural Credit Policy Council for Western Visayas; P87.76 million worth of rice seeds; P24.33 million worth of corn seeds; P10.85 million worth of assorted vegetables; P130,000 worth of animal stocks, drugs and biologics for livestock and poultry from Northern Mindanao and Caraga; and available funds from Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. to indemnify affected farmers.
