Agricultural damage due to Kristine climbs to P3.40B

Rains dumped by Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (international name: Trami) flooded several areas in the Eastern Visayas region, including the town of Catubig in Northern Samar, as shown in this photo taken on Wednesday, October 23, 2024. PHOTO COURTESY OF CATUBIG LOCAL GOVERNMENT

MANILA, Philippines — The damage sustained by the country’s crop and fisheries sectors due to Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (international name: Trami) has climbed to P3.40 billion, the Department of Agriculture (DA) reported on Tuesday.

In its 8 a.m. bulletin, the DA said the report came from its regional offices in Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol Region, Western and Eastern Visayas, Soccsksargen, and Caraga Region.

READ: NDRRMC: 14 of 125 reported deaths due to Kristine validated

“Damage and losses have been reported in rice, corn, cassava, high-value crops, livestock and poultry, fisheries, and agricultural infrastructures,” the DA added.

The agency also disclosed that Kristine affected 79,904 farmers, and the damage covers 76,785 hectares (ha) of agricultural areas and the volume of production loss at 174,087 metric tons (MT).

DA said the production losses for rice and corn amount to P3.10 billion and P43.34 million, respectively.

Below is the breakdown for the damaged commodities:

• 164,510 MT for palay/rice
• 1,981 MT for corn
• 161 MT for cassava
• 7,369  MT for high-value crops
• 66 MT for fisheries

The department will be providing the following items to affected communities:

• P 541.02 million worth of agricultural inputs (rice, corn, and vegetable seeds, drugs, and biologics for livestock and poultry)
• Bags of rice stocks from the National Food Authority for distribution as relief by local governments, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and other agencies to families affected
• Deployment of Kadiwa stores to affected areas
• P1 billion Quick Response Fund for the rehabilitation and recovery of affected areas, among others

The number of reported deaths due to Kristine climbed to 125, while the tally of affected individuals rose from over six million to 7,134,954, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

The NDRRMC said 111 of the deaths are still up for validation. It also reported that 115 were injured and 28 were missing.

Kristine left the country’s area of responsibility over the weekend, but the state weather bureau is monitoring a new weather disturbance, Typhoon Leon (international name: Kong-rey), which entered the Philippine boundary last Saturday.