Philippines : Rice supply stable despite Tino devastation –DA
The DA said the country’s rice supply remains stable despite Typhoon Tino, as most major rice-producing areas had already completed harvests. However, corn production may face notable losses, with about 33,000 hectares affected. Overall, around 470,000 hectares of crops are being assessed for damage, with further validation ongoing.
MANILA – The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Wednesday assured the public that the country’s rice supply will remain stable despite the massive devastation brought by Typhoon Tino (international name Kalmaegi) across Visayas and Mindanao.
In a statement, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said initial assessments showed no significant damage to the rice sector in the affected regions.
“We’re not too worried about rice since the harvest is almost complete in major producing provinces, and most of the affected regions are not major producing areas,” he said.
Tiu Laurel said farmers in Iloilo, one of the country’s top rice-producing provinces, had already completed most of their palay (unhusked rice) harvest before the typhoon hit.
However, Tiu Laurel warned of possible significant losses in corn production as Typhoon Tino moved across the Visayas and Palawan.
“We may have an issue with corn because about 33,000 hectares of cornfields were affected by Tino,” he said.
As of Oct. 31, data from the DA-Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Operations Center showed that a total of 470,923 hectares of standing crops may be affected by the inclement weather.
Of the total, 351,437 hectares are planted with rice and 119,486 hectares with corn.
For corn, over 51 percent or 60,949 hectares are in the seedling and vegetative stages; 21 percent or 25,517 hectares are in the reproductive stage; and 27 percent or 33,020 hectares are in the maturity stage.
To date, the DA-DRRM Operations Center is continually validating agricultural damage reports in collaboration with regional and local field offices in affected areas.
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Source : PNA
