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TUGUEGARAO CITY – Typhoon Egay left PHP217.4 million worth of damage to corn and PHP2 million to palay crops in Cagayan, initial data released by the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) and Department of Agriculture-Region 2 (Cagayan Valley) on Thursday showed.
The damaged farms were recorded by local agriculturists in 28,730 hectares of plantations from 17 towns in the province.
Some 28,651 farmers were affected in the towns of Sta. Ana, Camalaniugan, Lasam, Abulug, Iguig, Rizal, Sto. Niño, Tuao, Alcala, Gonzaga, Baggao, Allacapan, Buguey, Piat, Solana, Peñablanca, and Aparri.
The destruction of corn crops was caused by the heavy rains and gusty winds during the typhoon's onslaught.
Most of the damaged corn crops were in the reproductive and vegetative stages.
Meanwhile, in an interview on Thursday, Director Narciso Edillo of the DA-2 said aside from the PHP2-million palay crops damaged, also destroyed were high-value crops estimated to be worth PHP357,000, as well as vegetable crops pegged at PHP251,000.
Initial data from the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVET) also showed livestock deaths reached PHP1.05 million.
Dr. Noli Buen, Cagayan provincial veterinarian, said in a Thursday news briefing that drowning was the main culprit in the livestock deaths in seven northernmost towns. (PNA)
