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TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines -- Typhoon “Frank” (international codename: Fengshen) has destroyed P46 million worth of palay in Eastern Visayas, the Department of Agriculture (DA) regional office bared.

DA regional director Leo Cañeda also said on Tuesday the destruction to the rice fields affected 9,000 farmers.

But Cañeda said the DA-8's projection of the rice production for the year would not change.

He said the palay production loss would reach only 2,000 metric tons, which represents less than one percent of the total expected production of one million metric tons for 2008.

The agriculture department in Eastern Visayas hoped to pass the one million mark in terms of rice production for the year 2008.

Last year, the region produced more than 987,000 metric tons of rice.

Cañeda said the province of Leyte registered the most damage in rice fields at P27 million since several of its rice-producing areas were submerged in water.

Except for Southern Leyte, the other Eastern Visayas provinces also incurred damages in its rice fields, he added.

Meanwhile, Cañeda said that the DA has started conducting an inventory of available rice seeds, both of good quality and certified seeds, as part of their "immediate relief and rehabilitation program" to help the affected farmers.

He said that the regional office of the National Food Authority has only around 378,000 bags of rice seeds available. To help the affected farmers, the region needs about 900,000 bags of rice seeds, Cañeda added.

Since the DA has focused on the rehabilitation of rice fields in Iloilo, which have experienced heavy losses in agriculture, Eastern Visayas has to find sources of rice seeds within the region.

"(So we're) mobilizing seeds from our own local seeds growers throughout the region and make sure we can mobilize seeds within the region so we can save on transportation costs," Cañeda said.

However, he explained that they could source rice seeds from other regions, mostly from Mindanao.

• SLI appeals to MARINA to release ships after audit
• Negros Occidental suffers P300-M crop, infra damage
• Kalibo residents need food, water a week after ‘Frank’

• China wants new global monetary system
• Solons caution gov’t on privatization