Rice and vegetable seeds are now available for farmers affected by Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (international name Trami), a Department of Agriculture – Cordillera Administrative Region (DA-CAR) official said.
Among the seeds that are ready for distribution are hybrid rice seeds worth PHP4.5 million and lowland and highland vegetable seeds worth PHP220,000.
Aida Pagtan, head of the Regional Agriculture and Fisheries Information Service (RAFIS), on Friday said the regional office had prepositioned seeds for distribution to provincial offices for faster mobilization.
“We can immediately distribute and allow farmers to plant in case there is a need to replace the plants damaged by the typhoon,” she said in an interview.
For the support to livestock, the DA-CAR has available vaccines, antibacterial medicines, dewormers, vitamins and multivitamins worth about PHP2.9 million.
DA-Cordillera Director lawyer Jennilyn Dawayan said in an advisory that they have mobilized “Kadiwa” trucks to provide assistance for the transport of vegetables.
Kadiwa is a government program where farmers directly sell their produce to consumers.
Based on DA monitoring, vegetable prices remain stable.
Chinese cabbage is sold on wholesale at PHP55 a kilo, lower by PHP10 compared to the Oct. 15 prices; potato granola is higher by PHP3; first class rare ball cabbage is lower by PHP3 from PHP38 a kilo on Oct. 17.
The prices of carrot decreased by PHP10 while sayote is lower by PHP4 a kilo.
Based on the latest available data, there were 1.8 metric tons of assorted vegetables traded on Oct. 22.
On Thursday, 1.4 metric tons were traded.
More than 50 percent of the vegetables in the region are brought to Metro Manila while less than 10 percent are brought to regions in Visayas.
Meanwhile, Dawayan urged farmers to report to their municipal agriculture offices the damage they incurred in order to get assessment and necessary assistance.
Dawayan said DA officers and those from local government units have started field validations and assessments but noted that the task will be easier with direct reporting.
As of 3 p.m. Thursday, DA-Cordillera recorded 81.75 hectares of rice and vegetable farms damaged in Kalinga and Apayao, with 59 affected farmer and an initial damage of about PHP1.9 million. (PNA)
