Antique incurs P38.7-M damage on crops, fishery due to 'Ferdie'

SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique – The province of Antique has incurred over P38.7 million worth of damage to crops and fishery due to the heavy rainfall caused by the southwest monsoon and Tropical Storm Ferdie.

Dr. Gina Jordan, Antique Office of the Provincial Agriculturist acting chief, said in an interview Tuesday that 909.49 hectares of palay corn, and vegetables were damaged based on the Sept. 16 report.

"The heavy rainfall greatly affected 1,390 palay farmers," she said.

Some 20 hectares of corn plantation were damaged in the towns of Barbaza and San Remigio, involving 23 farmers.

Some 45.49 hectares, planted with vegetables in Bugasong, Pandan, San Jose de Buenavista, and Patnongon, owned by 124 farmers, were also damaged.

The inclement weather caused fishponds to overflow, killing harvestable milkfish, catfish and tilapia.

Further, eight motorized and fiber non-motorized bancas in Hamtic, Libertad, San Jose de Buenavista, and Bugasong were destroyed due to inclement weather.

"On fisheries, the damage is valued at P331,000," Jordan said.

She added that the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation-Antique already deployed adjusters to validate the damages and indemnify those insured.

"We will also be having a meeting with the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute because it has 33,000 bags of palay seeds for distribution to farmers this second cropping," she said.

Farmers registered with the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture will receive one sack of palay seeds per hectare in time for the second cropping this month. (PNA)