Storm-hit Bicol farmers get P36M in rice, corn, vegetable seeds

A farmer in Bulacan prepares to plant rice. In Bicol, farmers hit by Tropical Depression Usman received P36 million in seeds to replace those they lost to the storm. INQUIRER PHOTO

LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines – About P36 million worth of hybrid palay, corn and assorted vegetable seeds were distributed on Monday to thousands of farmers whose crops were destroyed by floods and landslides spawned by Tropical Depression “Usman,” the Department of Agriculture (DA) in Bicol said.

Emily Bordado, DA Bicol spokesperson, said 14,150 bags of certified hybrid palay seeds, 1,560 bags of hybrid corn seeds and 1,750 kilos of assorted vegetable seeds were sent to towns hardest hit by floods and landslides in the provinces of Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Albay, Sorsogon and Masbate.

The total damage to agriculture or crops in Bicol was placed at P1.1 billion, Bordado said.

Around 44,172 hectares of rice lands or 28 percent of the region’s total rice areas of about 177,371.93 hectares were affected. Bordado said that of the damaged areas, 18,971 hectares or 57 percent have a chance of recovery, while the remaining 25,200 hectares were totally damaged and have no chance of recovery.

The total damage means a loss of 36,925.5 metric tons of produce for the first quarter of this year, Bordado said.

For corn, the area damaged totaled to 10,974 hectares which could result in a production loss of about 1,453 metric tons for the first quarter; while for vegetables, 1,123.21 hectares were damaged with production loss of over 3,035 metric tons. /cbb