BACOLOD CITY – Negros Occidental reported about PHP2.3 million in crop and fishery losses due to heavy rains and floods brought by Tropical Storm Agaton as of January 7.
Provincial Agriculturist JaphetMasculino said personnel of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) continue to conduct field assessment and validation.
The OPA report showed that in Cadiz City alone, losses totaled PHP696,160 in 49 hectares of rice fields planted by 54 farmers in five villages.
Also, 17 high-value vegetable farmers in three other villages incurred PHP168,360 worth of losses.
Initial damage to agriculture thus totaled PHP864,520, figures from OPA showed.
In the fishery sector, a total of PHP1.42 million worth of damage was reported, affecting 144 fisherfolk and one association in five localities.
In Escalante City, seven fishermen lost five units of fish cages and dikes worth PHP130,000 while in Manapla town, 17 fisherfolk reported losses of PHP118,000 after 19 units of motorized boats were damaged.
In Cadiz, seven fisherfolk incurred PHP35,300 in losses due to damage to 77 panels of fishing gears.
Meanwhile, in E.B. Magalona, 50 fishermen reported total damage in 58 units of “tangkop” or fish corals amounting to PHP680,000.
Sixty-eight other town fisherfolk suffered losses amounting to PHP345,125 after 627 units of their fishing gears were also affected.
A fishery association also reported that its oyster culture project worth PHP45,000 was damaged.
In Sipalay City, two units of motorized fishing boats worth PHP70,000 were damaged.
Last month, the OPA reported at least PHP3.2 million in damage and production losses, particularly to rice plantations in Negros Occidental following the torrential downpour brought by Typhoon Urduja. (PNA)
