BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – Agricultural damage that Negros Occidental incurred from massive floods early in January exceeded P110 million.
In its final assessment report, the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) said the series of floods dealt a total of P110,142,754 damage to the province’s covered crops, fisheries, and irrigation structures.
This figure, according to Provincial Agriculturist Japhet Masculino, exceeded the losses in the province’s agro-fishery sector for the entire year in 2020 pegged at P65.38 million only.
The latest OPA report showed that from Jan. 1 to 5, damage and losses reached P20 million; Jan. 8 to 13, P86.7 million; and January 16 to 29, P3.33 million.
In the first five days of the year, affected were 1,576 farmers and fisherfolk with areas totaling 783.74 hectares in 43 barangays of cities of Sagay, Cadiz, Victorias, Silay and Talisay, and E.B Magalona town.
On Jan. 8 to 13, the damage and losses accounted for 2,998 farmers and fisherfolk with 2,334.91 production areas in 151 barangays of cities of Escalante, Sagay, Cadiz, Victorias, Talisay, Silay and Bago, and towns of Manapla, Valladolid, Pontevedra, and E.B. Magalona.
From Jan. 16 to 29, some 316 farmers and fishermen with areas totaling 104.866 hectares in San Carlos City, Toboso, and Sagay City were also affected.
Meanwhile, the livestock and poultry sector incurred some P8.6 million in damage and losses due to the, data released by the Provincial Veterinary Office showed.
On Jan. 8 to 11, animal farmers reported P5.14 million worth of losses and P3.5 million during the initial floods on Jan. 1.
The massive floods, which mostly hit northern Negros, displaced more than 38,000 families and damaged more than 1,000 houses during the second weekend of January alone./PN