BACOLOD CITY -- Farmers in Hinigaran, Negros Occidental affected by flash floods caused by monsoon rains have incurred about PHP5.4 million in production losses, a report released by the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) on Wednesday showed.
The report, which covered the period of July 31 to Aug. 16, showed production losses were monitored in almost 290 hectares of rice, corn, and high-value commercial crop (HVCC) farms in the southern Negros town. These were planted by 287 farmers in 12 villages.
The rice sector reported the largest amount of damage, at almost PHP4.8 million, affecting 264 farmers with combined rice farm areas of about 286 hectares.
The affected farms were mostly at the seedling stage while others were in the vegetative, reproductive, and ripening stages.
A total of 12 farmers planting HVCCs on 3.2 hectares reported production losses worth PHP638,500 while a corn farmer with a 0.20-hectare farm incurred PHP3,000 in losses.
The OPA, headed by Provincial Agriculturist Japhet Masculino, has urged uninsured farmers to avail of crop insurance to help them recover from production losses brought about by calamities.
Negros Occidental has partnered with the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. since 2011 in the implementation of the Negros First Universal Crop Insurance Program (NFUCIP).
Enrollment premium per cropping season is PHP840. Enrolled farmers may avail of the PHP17,000 claim per hectare of damaged farms.
As of July 30, a total of 30,499 farmers - with a total area coverage of 33,871.12 hectares - were enrolled in the NFUCIP.
Since the NFUCIP began seven years ago, the provincial government has already turned over PHP72.854 million worth of indemnity claims to 15,455 farmers.
These covered 16,848 hectares of damaged rice, corn and high-value crops. (PNA)
