Rice farms worst hit by Auring; total agri losses now P79M

RESCUE A soldier carries a child during rescue operations in the flooded village of Payasan, Lianga town, of Surigao del Sur on Feb. 21 as Tropical Depression Auring batters the province. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

The toll of Tropical Depression Auring (international name: Dujuan) on agriculture rose to P79.38 million based on the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) bulletin on Friday.

Most of the damage and losses were recorded in rice valued at P75.04 million, mostly in the provinces of Surigao del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Agusan del Norte, and Dinagat Islands, the DA said.

The torrential rains brought by Auring two days before and when it made landfall in the Caraga region on Feb. 21 left thousands of agricultural lands and households submerged in floods.

Over 1,400 farmers and fisherfolk and 4,787 hectares of farmlands were affected, the DA said, which resulted in 1,017 metric tons of production loss.

Other affected commodities included corn (P94,900), high-value crops (P515,000), fisheries (P304,000), and livestock and poultry (P3.43 million).

The DA has made available P5.44 million worth of interventions to the region of Caraga to assist farmers and fisherfolk recover from the calamity.