The drought damage to rice and corn crops in Negros Occidental has hit P214,150,262 and the figure is still expected to increase with more reports coming in, Provincial Agriculturist Dina Genzola said on Monday, May 6.
The rain that has hit some parts of the province has not been enough to revive the crops in areas where extreme heat has caused the parched soil to crack, Genzola said.
Light rainfall was reported in Cauayan and Himamaylan City, moderate rainfall in Binalbagan, Hinoba-an, Valladolid, La Castellana, Moises Padilla, Toboso and Hinigaran, and heavy rainfall in Sipalay and Talisay cities for about five minutes late last month, she said.
They are hoping that the rice production in Negros Occidental’s irrigated areas will make up for the losses in the rainfed areas, she said.
They hope the irrigated areas will produce 5 to 6 metric tons of rice per hectare, Genzola said.
The Office of the Provincial Agriculturist’s updated damage report on May 3 submitted to Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson placed the Negros Occidental drought damage to rice at P208,336,070.57 and corn at P5,814,191.64.
This has affected 5,574 farmers’ crops planted on 4,183 hectares in 27 of the 31 local government units in Negros Occidental, the OPA added.
The OPA placed the damage to rice crops in Negros Occidental as follows:
FIRST DISTRICT
San Carlos City – P5,832,678
Don Salvador Benedicto – P701,525
Toboso – P434,256.42
SECOND DISTRICT
Sagay City – P1,924,590.53
Cadiz City – P765,582.70
THIRD DISTRICT
Murcia – P951,216.40
Talisay City – P1,313,702
EB Magalona – P2,572,460.80
Silay City – P1,714,412.50
FOURTH DISTRICT
Valladolid – P9,303,940
San Enrique – P16,852,861.49
Bago City – P8,233,608.34
Pulupandan – P1,707,387.60
Pontevedra – P1,557,122.40
FIFTH DISTRICT
Himamaylan City – P13,499,975.92
Isabela – P334,800.00
Binalbagan – P3,002,640
Moises Padilla – P1,536,417.50
Hinigaran – P1,751,055.20
La Castellana – P3,135,780.90
SIXTH DISTRICT
Cauayan – P66,139,789
Hinoba-an – P3,674,229.60
Sipalay City – P1,697,533.63
Ilog – P7,487,370.24
Kabankalan City – P41,910,361.20
Candoni – P10,300,773.20
Damage to corn crops in Calatrava was P3,877,704.80, Don Salvador Benedicto – P115,500, Sagay City – P48,264, Cadiz City – P141,870, Murcia – P199,384.40, Bago City – P158,304, Isabela – P301,864.29, La Castellana – P727,943.75 and Sipalay City – P243,356.40.*