Christmas food supplies safe despite ‘Ruby’ farm damage, DA says
Department of Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—Typhoon “Ruby’s” passage has resulted in just under half-a-billion pesos in total damage to agriculture and “prepositioning” by farmer-cooperatives means there will be enough supply of food in the country come Christmas.
“Many farmers are done harvesting and our rice centers have stock,” Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said at a news conference. “Livestock farmers have also secured supply, especially of chicken, so there should be no reason for price increases at this time. We will keep monitoring the situation as the typhoon passes but so far our food supply seems safe.”
Alcala and other officials of the Department of Agriculture said that initial reports indicated that the damage to crops, fisheries, livestock, and agricultural infrastructure amounted to P498.27 million.
The initial damage was considered small and this was likely because many farmers had already harvested rice and other crops by the time Ruby struck. Immature crops still on the fields may still recover after the typhoon has passed, Alcala said.
Livestock farmers had also wisened up and reinforced their facilities or built modern temperature-controlled housing to protect their animals, he said.
“The initial damage this time is much smaller,” Alcala said when asked to describe the amount of agricultural losses from Ruby compared with Supertyphoon “Yolanda.”
“Our farmers were at the height of harvesting when Yolanda hit but this time much of the harvest work has finished.”
The agriculture department reported that P312.86 million worth of rice was damaged in areas hit by Ruby. Corn crop losses reached P65.6 million and high value crops lost amounted to P7.04 million. Livestock losses reached P31,250.
The rest of the losses were attributed to fisheries, equipment and facilities damaged by the typhoon.
Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Director Asis Perez said the department was helping fishermen get new fishing boats and was ready to replace fishing devices or “payaos” in municipalities where they were well-maintained.
Alcala said the BFAR had a program to propagate shellfish and seaweeds to help supplement food sources and farmer incomes in fishing communities.
Field officials were still validating reported figures on agricultural damage, Undersecretary Emerson Palad said.
Lost rice volumes due to the typhoon will be part of a year-end assessment of supply and demand for the politically important crop. As for reports that the National Food Authority was considering a 600,000-metric-ton rice importation next year, Alcala said his department had not been consulted.
“We have not been asked but even before we are asked we will study whether there is basis for such a volume, considering our production,” Alcala said.
Originally posted at 1:39 pm | Monday, December 8, 2014
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