The extent of the drought damage to rice crops in Kabankalan City does not meet the criteria for the declaration of a state of calamity yet, Ricky Muscosa, City Agriculture Office head, said Tuesday, February 5.
His office is still continuing to gather data on the El Niño damage to crops in Kabankalan, he said.
The drought has so far damaged P41.7 million in rice crops in 17 of 32 barangays in Kabankalan, Muscosa said.
The drought damage has hit 975 hectares affecting 1,200, farmers, he said.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council states that least 30 percent of the means of livelihood in the agricultural, business or industrial sectors of a local government unit must be affected for a state of calamity to be declared.
Muscosa said the city government has been distributing seeds to farmers so they can produce vegetables for their food needs.*