By CESAR JOLITO III

Despite the heavy agricultural losses caused by Typhoon “Tino,” the Department of Agriculture in the Negros Island Region (DA-NIR) assures that Negros Occidental’s rice supply remains stable ahead of the holiday season.

DA-NIR Director Engineer Albert Barrogo said the province’s rice stocks are sufficient for local consumption, as most rice harvests were completed before the typhoon struck.

“While the majority of our rice was harvested prior to Typhoon ‘Tino,’ about 1,000 hectares of rice fields in San Carlos City were damaged, as they are the last in the province to harvest,” Barrogo said.

According to the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), the typhoon inflicted over P158 million in agricultural damage, with rice alone accounting for more than P105 million.

The storm affected around 2,601 hectares of rice fields across 205 barangays, impacting 3,547 farmers.

Harvest in the province usually peaks during the “-ber” months, particularly September and October, which helped secure the bulk of rice production before the storm.

Despite a rice importation ban in place nationwide since September, extended until year-end under Presidential Executive Order 102 to benefit local farmers, palay prices remain low.

Reports indicate that traders are buying rice at P11 to P13 per kilo, a rate insufficient for farmers to recoup their production costs.

Barrogo urged stakeholders to continue supporting local farmers as the province recovers from the typhoon’s impact, emphasizing that while supply is adequate, economic losses for producers remain a serious concern./CJ, WDJ