BAGUIO CITY – The Department of Agriculture in the Cordillera Administrative Region (DA-CAR) on Sunday said it distributed 350 bags of rice seeds to farmers in six villages in Bangued, Abra, affected by the recent onslaught of Typhoon Egay.

Dr. Aida Pagtan, Regional Agriculture and Fisheries Information Service chief said at least 109 farmers from Barangay Cosili East received their rice seeds beginning Saturday.

Additional 250 bags of rice seeds were distributed Sunday to farmers in Barangays Macray, Dangdangla, Lubong, Cosili West, and Angad.

The farmer-beneficiaries in the six villages were among those initially identified when their farms were damaged by massive flooding from July 25 to 27.

Pagtan said the rice assistance program was immediately distributed to help farmers cope with the losses and allow them to plant while it is still cropping season.

At least 120 hectares of rice farmlands in Bangued were damaged by Egay while estimated damage to agriculture in the region has reached PHP474,341,869. (PNA)