Ormoc suffers P3.2B losses in agriculture

ORMOC CITY, Philippines — Yolanda's damage to crops and livestock in this city was estimated to reach P3.2 billion, according to the initial assessment by the City Agriculture Office recently.

Dante Albarico, OIC of CAO's Crop Production Division, told The Freeman that the total cost damage estimates was based on the number of hectares covered by each product.

"Please note that this total cost of damage report is an initial one. Yes, there might be a possibility that the amount will rise after the completion of the comprehensive assessment," he said.

Of the amount, standing crops absorbed the biggest loss of over P3.07 billion, followed by palay and milled rice stocked in warehouses and rice mills that incurred losses of over P149.9 million. The fishery sector also lost P21.75 million and the support structures P10.91 million.

Ormoc is an agricultural city, supplying food to neighboring provinces, including Cebu City. Rice, corn, and vegetables were not spared from the devastation.

Among the badly devastated crops, sugarcane ranked first in losses with P1.09 billion, pineapple with P1.02 billion, jackfruit with P312 million, coconut with P142.2 million and other fruit trees with P240 million.

Farmers are now faced with the problems of seed supply, high labor cost and scarcity of laborers, lost and damaged farm implements and support structures and recovery of perennial plants destroyed by Yolanda. — (FREEMAN)