Urduja Agricultural Damage Worth ₱702 Million
An updated report from the Department of Agriculture (DA) showed that agricultural damages caused by Typhoon Urduja have amounted to ₱701.61 million, covering 36,896 hectares of agricultural areas in the Bicol Region, Eastern and Central Visayas, and Caraga with the estimated volume of production loss at 17,334 metric tons (MT).
The largest share of losses is rice covering 58% of the loss, amounting to ₱408 million. This accounts for the 33,294 hectares of rice fields (11.4%) of the 291,746 hectares.
Aside from rice, high-value crops particularly vegetables in Eastern Visayas also had significant losses. The current damag₱e is about ₱280 million or 40% of the total production.
DA-Field Programs Operational Planning Division chief Christopher Morales,
“Most of these are on their fruit-bearing to harvestable stage. The affected 1,560 mango trees are in their flowering stage while most bananas and sweet potatoes are on their reproductive to maturity stage.”
Meanwhile, corn also accounted for 1.4 percent of losses at ₱7.82 million affecting 2,110 hectares, majority of which are in its seedling to vegetative stage. Also, 17 hectares of cassava also got affected, amounting to about P2.03 million.
In terms of livestock, damages are estimated at ₱3.3 million which includes 2,534 poultry heads, 307 goats, 350 swines and some carabaos and cattle.
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