Agri Storm Losses Reach P1.73B From Recent Cyclones

Agricultural losses across the Philippines have reached 1.73 billion pesos due to tropical cyclones Luis, Maymay, and Neneng, alongside the enhanced southwest monsoon, according to the Department of Agriculture. The severe weather affected 50,277 farmers and damaged 40,954 hectares of farmland, prompting emergency distribution of seeds and financial assistance.

Storm Damage Totals and Hard-Hit Commodities

Production losses from the combined weather systems have totaled 43,220 metric tons across the Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, and Western Visayas, the Department of Agriculture said on Thursday in its latest damage assessment. The affected commodities span rice, corn, cassava, and other high-value crops, as well as fisheries, livestock, and poultry, alongside reported damage to agricultural and fisheries infrastructure, machinery, and equipment.

National agricultural damage topped 1 billion pesos as of Aug. 17, based on Department of Agriculture figures cited by the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas. Those tallies included 589 million pesos in palay and 313 million pesos in vegetables. In the Cordillera region specifically, the DA-Cordillera earlier placed regional agricultural damage at 16.48 million pesos as of Aug. 14, affecting 1,092 farmers and fisherfolk across 318 hectares. Abra accounted for nearly 70% of those regional losses, while Benguet and Mountain Province also suffered damage, including an estimated 2 million to 3 million pesos in crop losses across 60 hectares in Mankayan.

Market Disruptions and Farmers’ Financial Strain

Vegetable farmers reeling from floods and prolonged rains are facing a double blow as crop losses mount while falling prices and a shortage of buyers further slash their already meager incomes, a farmers’ group said. The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas called for immediate production subsidies, free seeds and farm inputs, crop insurance, and rehabilitation assistance. Farmers who managed to save their crops are also struggling to find buyers at decent prices.

In Benguet, farmers dumped Chinese cabbage and carrots along Labey-Lacamen Road in Tublay over the weekend amid weak demand and depressed prices. Vegetable deliveries at the La Trinidad Trading Post also reportedly dropped by 1,800 metric tons from Aug. 1 to 10 due to production and transport disruptions. Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas chairman Danilo Ramos warned that damage assessments and relief goods alone would not be enough to help farmers recover.

“Farmers lost crops, income, and capital,”

Danilo Ramos, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas chairman

Mr. Ramos said in Filipino, urging the government to conduct transparent, farmer-led assessments and immediately release production and recovery assistance to prevent more farmers from falling deeper into debt.

Government Relief and Recovery Measures

The Department of Agriculture stated that validation is ongoing and further damage and losses are expected in affected regions as assessment and validation are ongoing. In response, the agency has prepared 210.93 million pesos worth of rice, corn, and vegetable seeds for distribution to farmers, alongside 3,631 bags of National Food Authority rice allocated for Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, and Mimaropa.

Agri Storm Losses Reach P1.73B From Recent Cyclones — Photo: BusinessWorld Online

Financial relief efforts include the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. releasing 35.67 million pesos in insurance payouts to 5,005 affected farmers. Additionally, farmers may also avail themselves of zero-interest Survival and Recovery loans of up to 25,000 pesos through the Agricultural Credit Policy Council. The DA’s regional field offices in affected areas have mobilized assistance to farmers and consumers, including the deployment of Kadiwa trucks to transport agricultural products and deliver aid, while coordinating with regional disaster risk reduction and management councils, local government units, and other government agencies on response measures to monitor commodity prices and the movement of agricultural products to help ensure adequate supply and prevent profiteering.