DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 20 December)—The Department of Agriculture in the Davao Region (DA-Davao) is preparing buffer seeds for the affected farmers due to the tropical depression “Kabayan,” which landed in Davao Oriental Monday morning.
“I have been assured by my rice focal person that there are already standby buffer seeds available for replanting, should the farmers choose to do so. This is one of the obligations and duties of the Department of Agriculture, to provide buffer seeds in times of such calamities,” said Abel James Monteagudo, DA regional director, in a press conference at SM Lanang Premier Tuesday.
But Monteagudo said they have not yet received reports from certain municipalities in Davao Oriental regarding damages to agricultural crops due to the tropical depression.
Manay in Davao Oriental, he said, was greatly affected by the storm as water levels of Cateel, Caraga and Banga rivers rose.
“We might not have the [exact data of affected plantations right now in Davao Region]… but most likely the local government units, they would prioritize first on the damaged infrastructure and houses,” Monteagudo added.
Meanwhile, the DA’s Disaster Risk Reduction Management said in a statement posted on Facebook that based on the combined data of affected regions (Region IV-B, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao Region, Soccskargen and Caraga Region) by Tropical Depression Kabayan as of Monday, the area of standing crops that “may be affected” can be at around 625,963 hectares; 424, 673 hectares for rice and 201,290 hectares for corn.
Monteagudo said rice farming in Davao Region covers an area of 58,840 hectares as of 2021.
As for the delivery of buffer seeds, he said that it might be “delayed” but it will be delivered on time for the farmers to replant them if needed.
Notably, the municipal local government unit of Caraga in Davao Oriental had already declared a state of calamity on December 18. Its Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (MDRRMO) estimated damages at approximately P50 million, mainly from agriculture and infrastructure.
Back in August this year, Agnes Cecilia S. Roble, senior agriculturist of DA-Davao, said buffer remains sufficient to meet the domestic demand at least for the next two months, with the country having 1.9 million metric tons of buffer stock as of August 2023. (Ian Carl Espinosa / MindaNews)
