MANILA, Philippines — The combined agricultural damage left behind by tropical cyclones "Maymay" and "Neneng" in northern Philippines stacked up considerably, complicating the country's inflation problem.
According to the agriculture department’s assessment, Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos Region and Cagayan Valley incurred an estimated P355.63 million in damage to agricultural land.
Maymay and Neneng hit the country in the past week, sweeping through the same provinces in northern Philippines.
Data broken down showed the combined damage piled on a volume of production loss amounting to 25,297 metric tons and 15,850 hectares of agricultural areas. The livelihoods of 11,928 farmers were left reeling as a result.
These two tropical cyclones left various commodities, such as rice, corn and high-value crops, in a considerable state of devastation, but the DA said these values are still subject to validation.
Agricultural damage wrought by typhoons and various natural disasters almost always impact the prices of consumer goods and services around the country. Experts noted that the damage that Typhoon "Karding" left behind on the country’s rice granaries could weigh heavily on the economy’s recovery from pandemic fallout.
READ: 'Karding' to push inflation and rice prices up, crimp economy's growth
Agriculture historically accounts for 10% of the country's gross domestic product, employing a quarter of Filipino workers.
Maymay weakened into a low pressure area after being labelled as a tropical depression initially.
Neneng intensified to Typhoon category at its peak, prompting state weather bureau PAGASA to hoist Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 3 over the western portion of Babuyan Islands last October 16.
Neneng exited PAR at 8:00 p.m. last Sunday.