‘Butchoy’ destroys P4.94-M
worth of crops, livestock

BACOLOD City - Negros Occidental losses P4.94 million worth of damages to crops, livestock, poultry, and fishery to typhoon “Butchoy”, Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) reported yesterday.

The heavy downpour brought by the typhoon wrecked a total of 620.52 hectares of agricultural lands.

Of the total, 613 hectares of farmlands planted with palay, corn, and vegetables worth P2.57 million, 7.05 hectares or P2.08 million for the fishery, P294,859 for livestock and poultry were damaged.

Affected by the flood were the municipalities of San Enrique, Ilog, Valladolid, Murcia, Pontevedra, and the cities of Kabankalan, Sipalay and Himamaylan, all in southern Negros Occidental.

In northern part of the province, the town of EB Magalona and Victorias City were affected.

A total of 1,687 livestock and poultry drowned due to flashfloods. This includes: cattle – 1, goat – 25, swine – 76, poultry -1,585, Dr. Renante Decenta, provincial veterinarian reported.

Decena said 37 barangays were affected in the cities of Victorias and Kabankalan and in Pontevedra town.

The damage report was only partial. Validation and monitoring are still ongoing.

Gov. Isidro Zayco said the affected local government units can declare a state of calamity so that they can make use of their five percent calamity fund./PN