BY ADRIAN P. NEMES III
Losses in the agriculture sector in Negros Occidental due to the onslaught of Tropical Storm Dante last week had reached P6.4 million, as of yesterday.
Provincial Agriculturist Japhet Masculino said the rice industry had the highest destruction recorded at P6 million after 290.52 hectares of rice fields were flattened by the tropical storm.
Masculino said 246 farmers from 31 barangays in seven towns and cities, who were affected by the catastrophe, are urged to avail of crop insurance so they could recover their losses.
BARANGAYS HIT
Affected barangays are Luna, Caduhaan, Burgos, Bonifacio, VF Gustilo, Cadiz Viejo and Villacin in Cadiz City, X, XII, XIV and XX in Victorias City, Pandan and Don Salvador in Pontevedra, and Batuan, La Granja, and Ayungon in La Carlota City, Masculino said.
Also affected were barangays Montilla, Quintin Remo, Odiong, Magallon Cadre, Guinpana-an in Moises Padilla, while in Hinobaan town, barangays Asia, Bulwangan, Culipapa, Talagacay, Bacuyangan, and San Rafael also reported damage, he also said.
HIGH VALUE CROPS, TOO
“Dante” also destroyed P52,775 worth of high value crops in barangays Burgos and VF Gustilo in Cadiz affecting 14 farmers, OPA records showed.
Meanwhile, Provincial Veterinarian Renante Decena said there were no additional recorded losses in the livestock industry of Negros Occidental, as of yesterday.
Decena said livestock losses remained at P564,868 due to deaths of farm animals from 13 barangays in the municipalities of EB Magalona, San Enrique, Binalbagan, and Hinobaan, and in La Carlota City.
HINOBAAN HARD-HIT
PVO records show that Hinobaan registered the highest devastation in livestock at P352,956 after swine, pekin ducks, cattle, carabaos, game fowl, and free range chickens have drowned or died due to hypothermia, or prolonged exposure to very cold temperature.*
