By JEN BAYLON

The agricultural damage caused by the El Niño phenomenon in Negros Occidental has reached a staggering P302,224,913.33, as of May 8, the latest report from the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) showed.

OPA officer-in-charge Dina Genzola said the drought has affected 8,285 farmers and 5,864 hectares of rice lands in 216 barangays across 28 local government units (LGUs).

The damage to rice crops was at P291,747,976.57, while fisheries suffered damage at P2,667,042.

Corn crops sustained losses at P7,809,894.76, with 265 farmers affected from 40 barangays in 12 LGUs.

Kabankalan City is the hardest-hit locality, recording P99,624,716.80 worth of damage, with 20 barangays and 3,430 farmers affected.

Other LGUs that have been severely affected by the El Niño-induced drought include Cauayan town, San Enrique town, Escalante City, Himamaylan City, Candoni town, Valladolid town, Bago City, Ilog town, San Carlos City, Calatrava town, and Hinoba-an town.

Earlier, Kabankalan, San Enrique and San Carlos were placed under a state of calamity due to agricultural damage triggered by El Niño, which allows them to access emergency funds and quick response funds to augment local funds for rehabilitation efforts./JB, WDJ