Caraga farmers to receive aid from DA

Farm inputs and other assistance from the Department of Agriculture are set to be distributed to the affected farmers in the Caraga Region, following the adverse effects brought by the rains and floods resulting from the combined effects of the northeast monsoon, shear line, and trough of the low-pressure area.

16,521 farmers from the Caraga and Davao regions are set to receive aid packages that include over P16 million worth of rice, corn, and vegetable seeds, as well as concessional loans.

“We are hopeful that the interventions and assistance we have and will extend to our farmers here in Caraga and in the Davao provinces will mitigate the adverse impact of these weather disturbances on their lives and livelihoods and help in their quick recovery,” said DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel on Friday.

The DA said its Regional Field Office in Caraga has already delivered P3.2 million worth of rice, assorted vegetable seeds, and rodenticides to Agusan del Sur’s Provincial Agricultural Office.

In a situation briefing with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Agusan del Sur governor Santiago Cane Jr. said that the total damage brought by the weather disturbances in his provinces is P2,295,983,284, where P1,999,168,000 is from the total damage to infrastructure and P297,815,284 is the total estimated cost of damage in agriculture.

The DA RFO in Davao, on the other hand, has also prepositioned P13.4 million worth of rice, corn, and vegetable seeds to give out to their farmers.

Moreover, the agriculture bureau said its Survival and Recovery Loan Program from the Agricultural Credit Policy Council will also provide the affected farmers with a loanable amount of up to P 25,000 payable in three years at zero interest and the Quick Response Fund for the rehabilitation of affected areas.

DA's latest estimations show that damages and losses recorded in the two Mindanao regions due to the shear line, northeast monsoon, and LPA trough are P359.8 million.

“A total of 15,792 hectares of farmlands were totally damaged, while 7,449 hectares sustained partial damage but still have a chance to recover,” the DA said. “The losses in terms of volume total 753 metric tons of palay, 2,006 metric tons of corn, and 608 metric tons of high-value crops.”