The Department of Agriculture – Caraga (DA-13) has so far provided PHP153,834,840 worth of assistance to farmers in the region who were badly hit by Typhoon Odette in December last year.
In a press conference Friday, DA-13 Executive Director Ricardo Oñate Jr. said of the total funds released for immediate responses, PHP12,762,430 was sourced from the available resources of DA-13 and assistance from the other DA offices in Mindanao.
A total of PHP141,072,410 was taken from the Quick Response Fund for Typhoon Odette that was approved by the DA Central Office, he said.
“These responses were aimed to help our farmers recover from the devastation of Typhoon Odette through the rehabilitation of their damaged farms,” Oñate said.
The DA-13 rehabilitation responses, done with the Philippine Coconut Authority, included the provisions of rice, corn and vegetable seeds, planting materials, fertilizers, and insecticides to the farmers.
For the affected fishery sector, the rehabilitation efforts, together with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, were in the form of provision of fingerlings and seaweed propagules.
“The responses made by the DA-13 and its attached agencies were conducted in close coordination with the local government units in provinces and towns affected by the recent typhoon,” Oñate said.
Data provided by DA-13 indicated that “Odette” left a total of PHP2,225,209,990 damage to the agriculture sector in the Caraga.
The province of Surigao del Norte incurred the biggest damage with PHP1,527,293,080; followed by the Province of Dinagat Islands (PHP364,557,350); Agusan del Sur (PHP157,565,907); Agusan del Norte (PHP136,395,024); and Surigao del Sur (PHP39,396,627).
With a total of 20,252 farmers affected in the region, 12,301 are into high-value crops planting; rice, 7,617; and corn, 334.
Damage to rice crops is placed at PHP169,058,227 covering 13,003 hectares, and losses reaching 5,083 metric tons (MT).
Source: Philippines News Agency
