DAMAGED CROPS. Provincial Agriculturist Nicolasito Calawag said that four towns in Antique have reported damage to palay crops in the amount of PHP4.49 million. These are Hamtic, San Remigio, San Jose de Buenavista, and Tobias Fornier. (PNA photo by Annabel Consuelo J. Petinglay)
SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique – Four towns in the province of Antique have reported damaged crops due to the southwest monsoon rains enhanced by Tropical Storm Jenny last August 27-28, amounting to PHP4.49 million.
Antique Provincial Agriculturist Nicolasito Calawag said in an interview Monday that they have received damage reports from the towns of Hamtic, San Remigio, Tobias Fornier, and this capital town.
“There were 211 farmers in the four towns whose rice fields were flooded,” he said.
There were 92 farmers in Hamtic town whose palay planted in 1,298 hectares of land in vegetative, reproductive and maturity stages were flooded, Calawag noted.
In San Remegio, damaged 780.25 hectares of land, planted with crops all in the reproductive stage and tilled by 24 farmers.
“In San Jose de Buenavista, there were a total of 52 farmers with 174 hectares of rice fields being planted that were damaged by the monsoon rain,” Calawag said.
Meanwhile, he said the affected in Tobias Fornier were 442 hectares of land tilled by 43 farmers "whose crops were damaged by the flooding due to the enhanced monsoon rain”.
Calawag said that they are urging farmers from other towns in the province to also submit their damage reports to their Municipal Agriculture Officers (MAOs).
“As of now, we have palay seeds buffer stock which can be given as assistance to the farmers but that they have to first report the damage through their MAOs,” he said.
A bag of certified palay seeds per hectare is being given to farmers who need to replant. (PNA)
