By JEN BAYLON
The agricultural damage due to drought caused by the El Niño phenomenon in Negros Occidental has now reached P214 million, the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) reported yesterday.
The latest OPA report, as of May 3, revealed that damages to rice crops are now at P206,336,070, while losses to corn crops have reached P5,814,191.
Cauayan is still the hardest-hit local government unit, with damages at P66.1 million, affecting 20 barangays and 1,130 farmers tilling 562.48 hectares of rice land.
It is followed by Kabankalan City with P41.9 million, Himamaylan City with P13.4 million, Candoni town with P10.3 million, Valladolid town with P9.3 million, Bago City with P8.2 million, Ilog town with P7.4 million, San Carlos City with P5.8 million, Hinoba-an town with P3.6 million, and La Castellana town with P3.13 million.
Calatrava has incurred the highest loss in corn production, with P3.877 million.
Earlier, Kabankalan and San Enrique town were placed under a state of calamity which allows them to access emergency funds, especially quick response funds, to augment local funds for rehabilitation efforts./JB, WDJ