The Department of Agriculture over the weekend said it will provide credit and insurance aid to farmers and fisherfolk affected by the dry spell due to the El Niño phenomenon.

DA Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Arnel de Mesa, who guested in the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City, said the government is allotting P500 million for credit assistance.

De Mesa was referring to DA’s Survival and Recovery (SURE) aid program which is ready to offer up to P25,000 in interest-free loans for three years to eligible farmers and fisherfolk. Additionally, through the Quick Response Fund, the department can provide essential farm inputs, while the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp is prepared to pay insurance claims of up to P25,000 for registered agricultural workers.

“This is P25,000 per affected farmer and fisherman. And then for the insurance claims, about P1.8 billion was allotted at a maximum of P20,000 to be distributed,” De Mesa said.

He added that the DA is also fast-tracking the distribution of P5,000 in financial assistance to rice farmers and P3,000 in fuel subsidy to both farmers and fishers under the national budget.

As of 25 February, damage to agriculture was estimated at P357.4 million with damaged crops observed in farms in Ilocos, MIMAROPA, Western Visayas and the Zamboanga Peninsula.

De Mesa said a total of 7,668 farmers have been affected by El Niño.

The dry spell has also affected around 6,523 hectares of farmland, with an estimated 11,480 metric tons of palay, 2,897 MT of corn, and 225 MT of high-value crops.