'Kristine' causes over P11 billion in agrictultural, infrastructure damages
MANILA, Philippines — Agricultural and infrastructure losses from Severe Tropical Storm "Kristine" have exceeded P11 billion, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported on Friday, November 1.
About 40%, or P4.468 billion, are attributed to agricultural damages, while infrastructure damages have reached P6.830 billion.
The storm has damaged a total of 852 infrastructure assets, including 250 roads, 151 schools and 117 flood control structures. Other affected infrastructure includes government facilities, health centers, bridges and utility service facilities.
Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture (DA) reported a higher estimate of agricultural losses. Over the past two days, they identified an additional P1.45 billion in damages, bringing the total estimated agricultural losses to P4.85 billion.
As of Thursday, October 31, the DA’s latest report indicated the P4.85 billion in agricultural damage stems from an increase in both the volume of production loss and the number of affected farmers.
The loss of crops has surged from 174,087 metric tons on October 29 to 580,367 metric tons following just two days of assessment by DA Regional Field Offices.
Palay production remains the most affected crop, with losses totaling P4.12 billion and 509,852 metric tons in volume.
According to the DA, nearly four in ten hectares of affected rice fields have been completely damaged, majority of which are located in Bicol.
High-value crops, accounting for P554.83 million in losses, followed palay. These include bananas, mangoes, pineapples, cacao, rubber, garlic and onions.
Damage to high-value crops was concentrated in three regions: Mimaropa, Central Luzon and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), with a quarter of the affected agricultural land being completely damaged.
Meanwhile, infrastructure losses, including irrigation facilities, farm structures and machinery, totaled P76.71 million, primarily in Bicol and Eastern Visayas.
Other agricultural products destroyed by Severe Tropical Storm Kristine include corn, poultry and livestock, fish catch and cassava. Here is the breakdown of how much was lost for each:
- Corn: P62.38 million
- Livestock and poultry: P12.14 million
- Fish: P11.20 million
- Cassava: P10.38 million
As more areas were assessed, the proportion of completely damaged cassava land — mostly in Bicol and Eastern Visayas — decreased to 38.84%, covering 53 hectares.
For corn, 388 hectares of land — 18.87% of the 2,056 hectares affected — have been deemed unsalvageable. This mainly occurred in Cagayan Valley, Mimaropa and Bicol.
About 5,497 farm animals were killed due to the storm, largely in the Ilocos region. This includes swine, chicken, cattle, carabao, goat, sheep, horse, quail, ducks and guinea fowl.
Fish losses were primarily in Central Luzon, totaling 66 metric tons. The affected fresh fish include tilapia, carp, milkfish, and catfish, as well as shrimp, crab and seaweed.
Of the 105,166 hectares of land affected, the DA estimates that 35.15% can no longer be recovered.
Meanwhile, the number of farmers facing unsalvageable crops and flood-damaged plantations has increased by 50.57%, reaching a total of 120,315 affected farmers and fisherfolk.
The DA also anticipates further losses as field validation of Severe Tropical Storm Kristine's impacts continues. Price monitoring of agricultural commodities is also underway to track any market price increases.
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