Storms won’t affect food supply

Here goes the Department of Agriculture (DA) again, being optimistic without taking into account current and future risks to standing crops and those to be harvested yet, in the face of storms, floods and landslides. From production to harvest, there are great risks to face.

DA spokesman Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa said current inventories and harvests from unaffected regions are sufficient to cushion the impact of weather-related disruptions on the market. (Of course, his optimism is hinged on the ease of importing what we lack).

He said the supply of crops will remain stable despite some losses from severe tropical storm Crising and habagat (southwest monsoon). What about the feared TS Dante and Emong along with the habagat rains also?

De Mesa said: “If ever there will be upticks in prices, these are not expected to exceed 10 percent,” De Mesa told a media forum. (My advice: Just keep watching closely the market prices and supply).

In its latest bulletin, the DA reported ₱454.1 million in agricultural losses, covering 20,413 hectares of farmland and affecting 20,959 farmers and fisherfolk, of which 66% are totally-damaged palay (unhusked rice) or roughly 6,700 metric tons (MT).

The country’s annual storm-related crop losses typically range between 500,000 and 600,000 MT, he said.

“Every year we experience around 20 tropical cyclones, and four or five of those are usually destructive to agriculture. We factor in those expected losses in our planning,” he stated.

The DA said the regions most affected were MIMAROPA, with ₱121 million in damage, followed by Western Visayas with ₱70 million and Central Mindanao.

Provinces that lost much were Occidental Mindoro (P68 million), Palawan (₱45 million) and North Cotabato (₱58 million).

DA’s monitoring of retail prices showed that imported commercial rice (special grade) ranged from ₱39.39 to ₱56.06 per kilogram while local commercial rice ranged from ₱38.55 to ₱57.73. Corn prices were also recorded between ₱42 and ₱79.21 per kilogram.

Pork kasim was priced at ₱382.14 per kilogram and pork liempo at ₱422.04. Bangus ranged from ₱210.18 to ₱239.50, tilapia at P150.18 and local galunggong at ₱258.52.

Lowland vegetables were priced between ₱62.60 and ₱132.65, while highland vegetables were in the ₱100 to ₱200 range.

Areas declared under a state of calamity are covered by automatic price freezes on basic commodities.

Rehab efforts underway

At least ₱1.2 billion in standby funding for recovery and rehabilitation is being prepared by DA, of which ₱545 million is for prepositioned inputs such as seeds, livestock medicine, and fisheries supplies to be distributed through regional field offices, once conditions allow for replanting and resumption of operations.

The Agricultural Credit Policy Council has earmarked ₱400 million for survival and recovery loans of up to ₱25,000 per borrower.

The Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation has set aside ₱268 million to cover indemnification for over 45,000 insured farmers and fishers, with payouts ranging from ₱10,000 to ₱15,000.

The DA itself can access a P1-billion quick response fund to repair damaged machinery, irrigation systems and other agricultural infrastructure. This fund is subject to replenishment by the Department of Budget and Management.

“These rehabilitation efforts are coordinated with our regional offices and local governments and begin shortly after the storms and flooding subside,” he said.

The DA said it continues to monitor market conditions across regions and is coordinating with relevant agencies to prevent price manipulation or profiteering.