Agriculture
dept sets aside
P232.6M for Western Visayas
THE Department of Agriculture has allocated
P232.6 million for the rehabilitation of the rice, corn and
fisheries sub-sectors in the Western Visayas region that were
hit hard by Typhoon “Frank” last month.
Agriculture and fisheries losses in the region
exceeded P3.37 billion because of the typhoon, Agriculture
Secretary Arthur Yap said.
Rice farmers will get P88.55 million, including
P58.29 million in fertilizer subsidy, P20.26 million in seed
support, and P10.0 million in extension services, Yap said.
The farm aid will cover 14,570 hectares of rice farms that
were completely damaged by the typhoon, he said.
For typhoon-affected corn farmers, the agriculture
department will spend P35.88 million to cover 5,097 hectares
of farm lands, Yap added.
The fisheries sub-sector in the Western Visayas
will need P108.18 million to rehabilitate its typhoon-damaged
facilities, conduct a fry/fingerling dispersal program for
milkfish, tilapia, seaweed and mussel producers, and distribute
fishing gears such as traps, fish corrals and gillnets, Yap
said.
The amount earmarked for Western Visayas forms
part of a nationwide farm relief package worth P834 million,
enough to cover the losses in the farm and fisheries sectors,
which have exceeded P7 billion.
Of the total package, P475.88 million will
go the rice sub-sector, P116 million to corn, P36.137 million
to high-value commercial crops, P52.835 million to poultry
and livestock, and P151.670 million to fisheries.
Under the rehabilitation program, the agriculture
department will use the budget for high-value commercial crops
to provide seeds and other inputs, facilitate market linkages,
and intensify technology transfer for the off-season production
efforts of banana, mango and vegetable growers. (Inquirer.net/PN)
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