Agricultural damage due to the southwest monsoon, or habagat, and tropical cyclones Mirasol, Nando, and Opong has increased to P2.51 billion as of Wednesday, the Department of Agriculture (DA) reported.
The latest tally is 28.67 percent higher than the P1.95 billion recorded by the DA on Monday.
In its latest advisory, the DA stated that adverse weather conditions affected the livelihoods of 85,671 farmers in the following regions: Cordillera, Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao, and Soccsksargen.
Losses were recorded in rice, corn, high-value crops, cassava, livestock and poultry, agricultural infrastructures, irrigation facilities, and machinery and equipment. Rice incurred the most substantial losses, accounting for 60.15 percent or P1.51 billion, of the total. High-value crops and corn followed at P705.12 million and P278.14 million, respectively. – Jordeene Lagare