By Edwin Fernandez and Noel Punzalan/Philippine News Agency
KIDAPAWAN CITY, North Cotabato — The unusual weather condition in the past three days has damaged more than PHP5-million worth of banana plants in at least 15 of 40 villages here, an agriculture official said Friday.
Marisa Aton, acting city agriculturist, said farmers from the affected villages reported that strong winds, accompanied by a heavy downpour, that have hit the city since Wednesday, have destroyed ready-to-harvest bananas.
“Field technicians of the city agriculture office are still in the field gathering information as to additional damages,” she told reporters here.
Aton added that a banana plantation owner in Barangay Sumbac reported to them that the prevailing strange weather condition has destroyed PHP700,000 worth of his banana plants with its fruits ready for harvest next week.
In a separate interview, Ariel Sumbalid, a banana farmer in Barangay Amas, said the weather these past few days have been “extra unusual.”
“It’s so hot in the morning but suddenly a heavy downpour coupled with strong winds would occur in the afternoon,” Sumbalid said in the vernacular.
Aton said banana plantation owners, who insured their farms with the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp., would certainly receive financial assistance.
“Some plantation owners opted not to get insurance coverage, thus they are at the losing end when calamity strikes,” she said.
Last February, this city was placed under a state of calamity due to the dry spell that prompted the local government to release an PHP18-million calamity fund to the affected communities.
The strange weather here came a day after a freak tornado destroyed more than 200 homes in Tacurong City.
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