MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – Typhoon Gener (international codename Saola) and the southwest monsoon cost the farm sector some P1.18 billion-worth in damages, according to preliminary data released by the Department of Agriculture (DA) on Monday, August 13.
The DA said this is composed of production losses worth P723 million and irrigation facility losses worth P458 million.
The largest production loss was recorded for rice/palay with P693 million.
Other sectors such as high value crops recorded losses worth P11 million; corn, P10.8 million; and fisheries, P7 million.
For irrigation, the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) disclosed that the P458 million-worth of damage includes those that require immediate repair.
The NIA said this report already includes typhoon and southwest monsoon damages in the Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR) down to Region XIII.
The agency disclosed that Region III suffered the most damage which is estimated to reach P120 million.
Not a cause for concern
Despite this, University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) agriculture expert Rolando Dy said the damage may be significant but the impact on agriculture growth will be negligible.
Dy said the second half of 2012 usually reached a value of P600 to P650 billion. When compared to the amount of the damage, even if it has exceeded P1 billion, this will be very small compared to the total output.
He added that in terms of GDP, the damage could only only cost economic growth to shed only 0.5%.
“There will be an effect. On a regional level, the impact will be significant but on a national level, it will be insignificant,” Dy said. “The damage may be substantial but it is not a cause for concern. – Rappler.com
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