Typhoon “Egay” leaves Php 5.5-M initial losses in agriculture

Rice farmers in Batangas. Daniel Zuckerkandel / Shutterstock

MANILA, July 8 (PNA) — The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Wednesday placed initial losses wrought by Typhoon Egay to the agriculture sector at Php 5.5 million with Region I and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) suffering the most damages.

Christopher Morales, OIC director of the DA Field Operations Service, said that rice and high value crops sector suffered the most damage with estimated losses placed at Php 2,566,221 and Php 2,499,073 respectively.

Meanwhile, the fisheries sector suffered losses estimated at Php 410,000 while corn losses were placed at Php 276,777.

In his report to Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, Morales said that damages on rice were in Mountain Province and La Union with Php 1,143,000 and Php 1,423,221 respectively.

Losses to high value crops, in the meantime, were concentrated in the province of Abra , which is estimated at Php 1,986,392.

Morales said that despite the said losses, rains spawned by Typhoon Egay were generally beneficial, particularly in land preparation in Regions II and III where farmers are in the midst of the wet planting season.

“Personnel from DA regional field offices and concerned local government units are still conducting field validations to assess the real extent of the damages from Egay,” Morales said.