DA-Cordillera: P11.9-M damage from Carina, stable veggie prices

Crops affected by Typhoon Carina. | PHOTO: Official Facebook page of the Department of Agriculture-Cordillera

BAGUIO CITY — Prices of vegetables from the Cordillera region remain stable as of Tuesday amid the P11.93-million crop damage by Super Typhoon Carina, the Department of Agriculture in the Cordillera Administrative Region (DA-CAR) said.

The DA-CAR’s Disaster Risk Reduction Management Information Service reported at 4:30 p.m. on Monday an initial P11.93 million worth of 24.39 metric tons of high-value crops from 129.78 hectares of plantations damaged by Carina.

Minimal damage was logged on rice, corn, and cassava.

At least 402 farmers were affected by the typhoon, which enhanced the southwest monsoon and brought continuous rains even after the bad weather.

Despite the damage, data on Tuesday show that wholesale prices of vegetables decreased compared to Monday.

The price of cabbage declined by P2 to P3 per kilogram, with an average price of P15 to P18; carrots by P15 to P20, with an average of P50 to P65 per kilo; and potato-granola by P2, with an average of P58.

A kilo of sayote remained stable at P15, while the first-class Chinese cabbage was higher by P3 from its previous price of P9 per kilo.

Aida Pagtan, Regional Agriculture and Fisheries Information Service (RAFIS) chief of DA-CAR, said current monitoring in the local market shows enough supply of vegetables.

“Based on market monitoring in Baguio City and La Trinidad, there is sufficient supply as residents have not yet gone out to buy volumes for the family,” she said.

Local governments in the Cordillera have posted on their official social media pages calling on farmers to report the situation on the farm, specifically, the area planted, the kind of crop, and the stage of the plant, and to submit photo documentation to make reporting faster.

“As of now, we cannot give the actual supply data, but looking at the trend in pricing, it is fluctuating. We need to wait for a while, but rest assured that reporting is being fast-tracked,” Pagtan said.

Lawyer Jennilyn Dawayan, DA regional director and head of the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, said the Department is ensuring the provision of rice, corn, and vegetable seeds to farmers affected by the recent calamity and has a Quick Response Fund (QRF) that would cover the rehabilitation of affected farms.

“We are gathering and assessing reports on crop damage and losses in the region, including affected livestock from the local government units. The regional field office will then have to jointly validate the reports for DA-CAR to identify what specific intervention may be provided to the affected farmers,” she said.

DA-CAR has repositioned its seed reserve to include 204,564 kilos of hybrid, inbred registered, and inbred certified rice seeds; 45,000 kilos of white and yellow corn seeds, and 564.70 kilos of upland and lowland seeds that may be distributed to the affected farmers in the region.

The supply is part of the La Niña preparedness plan of the DA, which was laid out during the height of El Niño.

DA also has the Survival and Recovery loan program from the Agriculture Credit Policy Council and the crop insurance that the Philippines Crop Insurance Corporation will provide. (PNA)