By LITO RULONA
Correspondent
THE Department of Agriculture (DA) declared an estimated damage of P1 Billion for corn crop has the biggest damage in Northern Mindanao due to El Niño phenomenon that hit the area for several months already.
This was disclosed by Mary Grace Sta. Elena, chief of Regional Agriculture and Fisheries Information Division of DA.as they started distributing farm inputs to restore the damage area in agriculture sector throughout the region. .
She said damaged for corn has reach to not less than P1 billion while palay damaged has reach to P425 Million and high value crops like fruits and vegetables P736 thousand and cassava P138 Million covering the five provinces in the region.
Based on the reports from their field teams the drought had affected 6.946 hectares of rice fields, 28,893 has of corn, 844 has of cassava, and 4,272 has of high value crops like vegetables, fruit trees and bananas as of April 28.
In livestock, only the province of Bukidnon and Opol in Misamis Oriental has submitted the damage during the long drought.
“Only the province of Bukidnon, Lanao del Norte and Camiguin is the only provinces that declares under state of calamity. In Misamis Oriental, only the municipality of Claveria has declared the same,” she said.
Ms. Lealyn A. Ramos, DA 10 regional director, said in a statement that P177 million from the Quick Response Fund will be released to the provincial governments through the Provincial Agriculture Offices.
“The funds will be downloaded to the provincial government, who, in turn, will allocate the assistance to the municipalities under their respective provinces. The LGUs are given the authority to do the procurement process of the seeds for rice, corn and vegetables and pump and engines for distribution.
“However, the pumps and engines are given only to farmer associations or to LGUs as common service facility, wherein these could be borrowed by group of farmers based on priority needs. In addition, an LGU has to liquidate the funds they will receive based on the usual accounting and auditing rules not later than August 2016,” Ramos explained.
According to the data from the DA-Regional Field Office 10, the province of Bukidnon will receive P128,949,273, Lanao del Norte P24,121,552, Iligan City P2,109,724, Misamis Occidental, P6,675,449.
Misamis Oriental P11,234,200, Cagayan de Oro P2,055,092.00 and Camiguin P1,325,961.
Sta. Elena said funds from the DA are already prepared while awaiting documentary requirements from different provinces.
“They have to submit papers like procurement process. Ipakita pud nila kung gi-unsa nila pagbahin-bahin kada munisipyo. This will also submit resolutions from their respective Sangguniang Panlalawigan and Bayan,”
she said.
She said if the submission is already complete and then the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) then the downloading of funds will follow.
“The DA has already set in place 58 units of water pump and engines with complete accessories, of which 16 units were given to the province of Bukidnon, 2 for Camiguin, 16 for Lanao del Norte, 13 for Misamis Occidental and 11 units for Misamis Oriental.
Sta. Elena added, 71 units are now on procurement stage which will be distributed to the following provinces: 17 for Bukidnon, 3 for Camiguin, 18 for Lanao del Norte, 18 for Misamis Occidental and 15 for Misamis Oriental. The affected farmers can also avail assistance from the LGUs through their calamity fund. The provincial governments are now on the process of determining the amount intended for recovery and rehabilitation of crops and livestock in their respective provinces that would be distributed to the affected municipalities”.
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