BACOLOD CITY – At least 1,646 hectares of agricultural farms have been damaged by massive floods in Negros Occidental in the past two weeks.
A report issued on Monday from the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) covering the period Jan. 8 to 11 showed that combined rice areas of 1,574.49 hectares in 65 barangays were flooded.
This brings the total damage and production losses to the province’s rice sector to PHP37.5 million.
The affected 1,642 farmers have ricefields in Sagay City, Cadiz City, Manapla, Talisay City, Silay City, Bago City, Valladolid and Pontevedra.
For the high-value crops (HVC) sector, some 24.44 hectares of farms in nine barangays in the cities of Escalante, Cadiz, Talisay and Silay were also flooded.
The OPA reported that 281 farmers were affected, incurring PHP8.17 million in damage and production losses.
Meanwhile, floods also hit 49.2 hectares of corn farms in 15 barangays of Sagay City, affecting 58 farmers who posted about PHP1.12 million worth of crop damage.
Also damaged were diversion dams and intake structure in Silay City and E.B. Magalona amounting to PHP111,000.
Although farms in southern Negros localities, including the rice areas of Bago City, Valladolid and Pontevedra, were also affected, the floods mainly struck some eight local government units in the north on Jan. 1 and 8.
Hardest hit were the cities of Silay, Talisay and Victorias, and E.B. Magalona town in the third district, which were all placed under a state of calamity.
On Jan. 16, flash floods also hit the northernmost city of San Carlos.
Earlier, Provincial Agriculturist Japhet Masculino said that affected farmers may receive an indemnity for their damaged farms if they have enrolled under the province’s crop insurance program in partnership with the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp.
He urged farmers to file their notices of loss as a requirement in processing their insurance claims. (PNA)
