THE Tabuk City Agricultural Services Office in Kalinga province said its rice yield is expected to decrease by 30 percent due to severe damage caused by typhoons that hit the city.
City Agriculturist Lim Ducyogen said the rice yield may drop from 40 to 70 cavans per hectare from the previous target of 80 to 100 cavans.
Ducyogen said typhoons Kristine and Nika had damaged nearly 5,000 hectares of rice fields.
He said typhoon Nika’s strong wind knocked down then crops that are already in the flowering, and most sensitive, stage.
“Crops that survived during the onslaught of typhoon Kristine were completely destroyed by typhoons Marce and Nika,” Ducyogen said.
He said the city agriculturist office is conducting monitoring and onsite inspection of damaged farmland in all barangay.
“We are also encouraging farmers to report damage to their rice, corn and high-value crops to either the city agriculturist office or their respective barangay local government unit,” Ductogen said.
Ductogen said they are still probing the damage to agriculture with another typhoon expected to hit land on Saturday and a report will be submitted to the provincial government and the Department of Agriculture in the Cordillera region for possible assistance.
Farmers insured under the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) were also advised to immediately report damage to their crops to speed up the processing of their claims.
Meanwhile, Tabuk City Mayor Darwin Estrañero instructed the office of the city agriculturist to speed up damage assessment in agriculture and assist insured farmers in processing their indemnity payments from PCIC.
Estrañera also called on the public, barangay officials and government agencies to remain alert to the possibility of another typhoon hitting Northern Luzon in the coming days.
