Typhoon ‘Aghon’ leaves Phl with P81-M agri damage

Typhoon “Aghon” has left the Philippines with damages and agricultural losses estimated at over P81 million. According to the Department of Agriculture (DA), the total crop loss was 2,586 metric tons.

The number of farmers affected was recorded at 1,482, mainly from the regions of Calabarzon and Mimaropa, with some 948 hectares (ha) of production areas destroyed, of which 424 ha, or 44.74 percent, are unrecoverable.

High-value crops suffered the most, with a value loss worth P47.39 million from the volume loss of 1,268 MT, destroying a total area of 349 ha, of which 198 ha, or 56.73 percent, were totally damaged.

The provinces of Laguna and Quezon registered the biggest production loss, valued between P20 million and P30 million.

Rice crops had a volume loss of 1,091 MT, worth P25.09 million. A total 500 ha of rice-planted areas were affected, with 213 ha, or 42.60 percent, unrecoverable. Laguna province had a value loss between P10 million and P12 million.

Livestock and poultry, meanwhile, have registered a loss of 24,514 heads amounting to P4.54 million.

Corn, on the other hand, had an estimated volume loss of 93 MT from 65 ha affected, leading to a production loss valued at P2.50 million.

Quezon Province remains the most affected area, with estimated value losses of between P500,000 and P2 million.

The cassava industry also incurred a 135-MT volume loss worth P1.21 million, all registered in Quezon Province. Its areas affected are 34 ha, which has a chance of recovery.

Moreover, damages to agricultural infrastructure were estimated to be over P965,400, of which most were recorded in greenhouses, pigpens, and irrigation canals.

A value loss of P600,000 to P800,000 was recorded in Quezon Province, which also suffered P135,000 worth of losses in machinery and equipment.

With this, the Department of Agriculture has extended initiatives to help the affected farmers, including the distribution of seeds, planting materials, and bio-control measures worth P23.06 million; the provision of the Survival and Recovery (SURE) Loan Program from the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC), with a loanable amount of up to P25,000 payable in three years at zero interest; and the Quick Response Fund (QRF) for the rehabilitation of affected areas.

“Aghon” exited the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Wednesday, leaving six people dead and eight injured. On the same day, PAGASA declared the onset of the rainy season in the country.