The Department of Agriculture (DA) 13 (Caraga) has disbursed over PHP2.8 million in aid to farmers affected by Tropical Storm Basyang and the shear line in Surigao del Sur.

The twin weather disturbances that affected the region last month caused about PHP48.3 million in damage to agricultural production and over PHP2 million to agricultural infrastructure, according to data from DA-13 on Friday.

“The province of Surigao del Sur was the first to request assistance for the affected farmers,” Gerlie Antipaso, the officer-in-charge of the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management of DA-13, said in a phone interview.

Last week, Antipaso said 1,800 sacks of certified rice seeds worth PHP1.58 million had been released to Surigao del Sur.

“Aside from the rice seeds, 400 kilos of rodenticides worth PHP1.28 million were also given to the province to prevent rat infestation. Rat infestation is among the dangers in rice fields, especially after flooding,” she said.

Antipaso said that upon submitting their damage reports, the affected local government units (LGUs) are required by the agency to submit requests for interventions to address their immediate needs.

“We are collating all of the requests, and we will continue the release of the interventions by next week,” she added.

Aside from the requests from LGUs, the DA-13 has also submitted its Rehabilitation and Recovery Program (RRP) to the national office for approval and release of interventions.

The interventions indicated in the RRP include PHP37.1 million for rice farmers, PHP5.2 million for high-value crops farmers, and PHP854,000 for poultry and livestock, or a total of over PHP43.15 million.

The budget indicated in the RRP is intended for rice seeds, various vegetable seeds, fertilizers, poultry, livestock, and biologics.

Data from DA-13 showed that 1,684.83 hectares of rice fields, with a volume of 445.31 metric tons (MT), were damaged by the recent calamities, resulting in losses of over PHP36.2 million.

The report also recorded damage to high-value crops, including highland and lowland vegetables, legumes, spices, fruits, commercial crops, and root crops, totaling 187.91 MT across 105.98 hectares valued at over PHP9 million.

On the other hand, the corn sector also sustained damage of 31.80 MT across 87.70 hectares, valued at around PHP2.7 million, while the remaining figures are attributed to damage in livestock and poultry. (PNA)