TOTAL damage and losses to the agriculture sector caused by Typhoon “Ompong” have reached P16.76 billion, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).

The figure breached the agency’s P13.2-billion damage projection in a “worst case scenario,” and was still expected to go up as the DA-Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Operation Center (DA-DRRMOC) continued to monitor effects of the typhoon on the farm sector.

A farmer inspects his corn farm after it was destroyed by Typhoon Mangkhut in Callao town, Cagayan province, on September 16, 2018. - Super Typhoon Mangkhut slammed into the northern Philippines, with violent winds and torrential rains, as authorities warned millions in its path of potentially heavy destruction. (Photo by TED ALJIBE / AFP)

A report from the DA-DRRMOC showed that a total of 636,908 hectares of agricultural lands suffered an estimated production loss of 731,294 metric tons (MT).

The total damage and losses cover Ilocos (Region I), Cagayan Valley (Region II), Central Luzon (Region III), Calabarzon (Region IV-A) and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).

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To this total, rice contributed the largest share of losses at 68.30 percent or P11.45 billion, affecting 474,838 hectares or 47.71 percent of 995,218 hectares of standing crops.

Production losses were placed at 558,441 MT.

Provinces heavily affected were Nueva Ecija in Region III with P2.84 billion in damage, followed by Cagayan in Region II with P2.77 billion, the DA-DRRMOC said.

In the fisheries sector, damage and losses were placed at P6.94 million in production and facilities/equipment, including tilapia ponds, fish cages, FRP (fiberglass reinforced plastic) boats, dikes and breeding tanks in Cagayan Valley.

“To date, there are no changes in the damage and losses in corn, high-value crops, livestock/poultry and irrigation facilities,” the DA-DRRMOC said.

Production losses in corn amounted to P4.50 billion, affecting a total of 148,587 hectares with estimated production loss of 281,039 MT.

Most of the affected crops were in their reproductive stages.

High-value crop production losses, affecting 7,913 hectares in the Cordillera Administrative Region and the provinces of Rizal (Region IV-A), Cagayan and Isabela (Region II), reached P15.72 million.

Production loss stood at 14,258 metric tons.

Losses to livestock were reported in CAR, with 20,316 animal heads affected (103 heads in livestock and 20,213 heads in poultry), amounting to P 5.51 million or 1.01 percent of the overall damage and losses.

Damage to irrigation facilities reached P15.72 million in Ilocos Norte (Region I), affecting small-water impounding projects, impounding dams and spillways.