CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga, (PNA) — The Department of Agriculture (DA) regional office has assured availability of seeds for distribution to farmers whose crops were damaged by the onslaught of tropical storm Maring and the southwest monsoon rains in Central Luzon.
DA regional executive director Andrew Villacorta said the agency has buffer stocks of certified seeds which the farmers can plant to replace their damaged crops.
The DA officials, led by DA Undersecretary for Operations Dante De Lima and Villacorta, started Wednesday the distribution of palay seeds to affected farmers in Candaba, Pampanga.
“We are taking the necessary measures such as seed assistance for rice farmers and seed subsidy for corn and high value crops to farmers following the completion of the assessment and validation process in flood-hit areas in the region,” Villacorta said.
He said that he already ordered DA field personnel to coordinate with local officials in the flood-hit areas to facilitate distribution of seeds to affected farmers.
Aside from seeds assistance, he said the DA also committed to provide farmers with other farm inputs and farm mechanization.
The massive flooding caused by the recent southwest monsoon and tropical storm Maring have affected some 33,154 hectares of farmlands in Central Luzon that caused some P341.3 million worth of damage to agricultural crops.
The rice sector suffered the biggest loss at P299.2 million wherein some 13,850 farmers were affected.
Other commodities affected were high value crops with P35.5 million; corn, P4.3 million; cassava, P2.2 million and livestock, P1.7 million.