The Department of Agriculture is seeking alternative livelihoods for farmers in Negros Occidental whose fields were destroyed by recent typhoons that caused over P1 billion in agricultural damage, an official reported Friday, Nov. 28.
DA Negros Island Region director Jose Albert Barrogo said some farms in La Carlota City and La Castellana have been totally devastated and can no longer be used for farming.
The floods caused by the typhoons washed down large boulders and volcanic debris from the slopes of Mt. Kanlaon, which have covered farm lands, Barrogo said.
Barrogo said he submitted a proposal to the DA head office for alternative livelihoods for the affected farmers whose farms were destroyed.
The proposal is for the dispersal of chickens and carabaos to the affected farmers for alternative livelihoods, he said.
Barrogo said typhoons Tino and Uwan caused P1,000,819,517 in damage affecting 21,053 farmers, data as of Nov. 18 showed.
The data is still being validated, he said.
Damage to rice was placed at P207,199,373, corn – P35,179,316, high value crops – P596,487,821, cassava – P1,528,026, livestock and poultry – P140,990, 979, infrastructure – P9,160,000, machineries and equipment – P774,000 and irrigation – P9,500,000.
The data is still under validation, he said.
Tropical Depression “Verbena” brought minimal to no further damage to agricultural areas, Barrogo said.*