The damage and losses incurred by the agriculture sector following the onslaught of super typhoon "Karding," which affected the rice-producing regions, ballooned to P3.2 billion as of Monday morning.

Based on the ongoing assessment of the Department of Agriculture, 108,594 farmers and fisherfolk were affected and 170,762 hectares of farmlands with a combined volume of production loss of 158,117 metric tons were devastated by the typhoon.

The rice sub-sector suffered the most with an affected area of 163,162 hectares and the volume of production loss at 134,205 MT, which accounted for P2.05 billion of the sector's total losses.

The DA, however, noted that the volume of production loss for rice is only 0.66 percent of the annual total production target volume for rice, which is 20.25 million MT.

For corn, damage and losses amounted to P65.4 million with an affected area of 2,003 hectares and a volume of production loss at 2,635 MT. The volume of production loss for corn is 0.05 percent of the annual total production target volume for corn, which is 5.11 million MT.

Amid increasing losses, the DA has earmarked P709 million to aid the fast recovery of the sector — this includes the P500 million quick response fund

Also, it includes P185.69 million worth of rice seeds, P23.16 million worth of corn seeds, and P13.55 million worth of assorted vegetable seeds that are ready for distribution.

Meanwhile, P2.45 million worth of animal heads, drugs, and biologics for livestock and poultry, as well as fingerlings and fishing paraphernalia to affected fisherfolk from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources will be released.

The DA said the fund will compensate for the destroyed properties and livelihood in various parts of the Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos Region, Central Luzon, CALABARZON and Bicol Region.