Pangasinan farmers are hoping the rain will stop, even for a few days, to give newly planted palay seedlings a chance to recover.
Records from the Pangasinan Provincial Agriculture Office showed that palay suffered the highest losses from Aug. 1 to 17, when the province was battered by continuous heavy rains brought by the southwest monsoon and tropical cyclones Luis and Maymay.
Damage to agriculture and fisheries reached P267,511,006, with palay farmers accounting for P147,450,921 of the losses.
A total of 8,481 palay farmers cultivating 7,455.64 hectares in 35 towns were affected, the report showed.
Oftociano Manalo, president of the Pangasinan Federation of Irrigators’ Associations (PFIA), said two-week-old seedlings may still recover if floodwaters recede soon.
But those replanted only a week ago and submerged for several days have little chance of surviving.
‘It is heartbreaking to look at the rice fields under water and think about how much the farmers have spent on seeds and labor,’ Manalo said.
High-value commercial crops, including vegetables and fruits, recorded the second-highest losses at P71,457,787, affecting 808 farmers in 20 towns.
Corn, another major crop in Pangasinan, was also heavily damaged, with 326 farmers in 20 towns losing crops worth P15,355,421.
The fisheries sector was not spared.
Twelve towns reported losses totaling P33,246,876, affecting 620 fisherfolk engaged in raising milkfish, prawns, tilapia and other species. Some lost their stocks, while others saw their fish pens, boats and nets damaged or destroyed.
The rising waters have added to the farmers’ worries. The Sinocalan River has reached 7.30 meters, breaching its critical level. The river’s normal level is six masl.
The municipal disaster risk reduction and management office advised residents, particularly those in low-lying areas, along riverbanks and in flood-prone communities, to remain alert and prepare for a possible further rise in water levels and flooding.