BACOLOD CITY -- A total of 33,092 farmers and fisherfolk in Negros Occidental have been insured with the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC), an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture, from January to July 15 this year.
These include those covered by regular crop insurance, as well as those under the coverage of the Registry System for Basic Sector in Agriculture (RSBSA), Sikat Saka, and Agrarian Production Credit Program (APCP).
In the rice sector, covered are 11,705 farmers planting 12,165.83 hectares while 614 corn farmers with area of 534.43 hectares are also enrolled.
Also insured are 4,713 coconut and sugarcane farmers, covering 4,490.13 hectares.
All these insured farmers cover an area of almost 26,475 hectares, based on the latest figures released by the PCIC-Negros Occidental.
Others insured are 2,801 livestock raisers, with 8,564 hectares as well as 709 recipients of non-crop insurance, with 709 hectares. Seven seaweed growers with seven hectares are also covered.
Accident insurance is also provided for 12,542 farmers, with a total area of seven hectares.
Under the RSBSA, 14,764 farmers with an area of 18,984.85 hectares are insured with a premium coverage of PHP30 million.
A total of 180 farmers with 255.03 hectares are covered by the Sikat Saka with a premium worth PHP899,000.
For APCP, 245 farmers, with 358.58 hectares, are insured with a premium of almost PHP1.5 million.
There are 17,903 farmers, with 6,875.93 hectares, insured under the regular crop insurance program with a premium of almost PHP6.2 million.
In the first half of 2018, the PCIC has paid indemnity claims amounting to almost PHP34.5 million to 6,611 enrolled-farmers in Negros Occidental. Majority of the claims, which is about PHP34 million, was paid to 6,519 rice farmers.
For the corn sector, released was PHP299,442 to 77 farmers; PHP56,000 to two non-crop sector farmers; PHP55,350 to five livestock raisers; and PHP16,000 to eight farmers under the Credit and Life Term Insurance. (PNA)
