Around 150,000 farmers and fisherfolk were affected

In a span of three weeks, the Philippines weathered three typhoons, with Quinta, Rolly, and Ulysses costing the agriculture sector some P10 billion in damages.

Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary William Dar said that around 150,000 farmers were affected and 275,000 hectares of agricultural land were damaged by the recent typhoons. The P10 billion loss estimate does not include the crops lost during the subsequent flooding in Isabela and Cagayan. Commodities severely affected include abaca and rice. High value crops incurred a P3.7 billion loss, and palay, a P3 billion loss.

The DA is giving assistance to affected agriculture workers and extending P10,000 to P15,000 worth of crop insurance indemnification as well as loans of up to P25,000 (P5,000 for emergency purposes and P20,000 for recovery) for farmers and fisherfolk.

The P6 billion excess tariffs from 2019 to 2020 will be given in December to 1.1 million rice farmers tilling one hectare of land and below. Dar said that P32 billion worth of crops were saved due to the agency’s early warning system.

The agriculture sector suffered P2.5 billion worth of loss from Typhoon Ulysses, P5 billion from Typhoon Rolly, and P2.7 billion from Typhoon Quinta.