The impact of Super Typhoon Julian will not affect prices of rice and vegetables in northern Luzon since the farmers harvested their crops before the storm hit, an official of the Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Saturday.
In a news forum in Quezon City, Agriculture Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa said the DA advised the farmers in Cagayan Valley, the Ilocos and Cordillera regions to harvest their crops before the typhoon hit the country.
“And about 44,000 hectares were harvested early on bago pa dumating si Julian and iyong natira na 7,000 these are the areas na nasa reproductive state at hindi pa puwedeng anihin,” De Mesa told the forum.
“So, malaki pa rin iyong ating na-save bagama’t may mga area pa rin na losses but still within the projected damage natin at will not cause significant…parang ano ito, sir, for increases sa mga presyo lalo na sa bigas at mga gulay dito sa mga lugar na tinamaan,” he said.
Farmers harvested their produce from 44,000 hectares of land out of the 51,000 hectares threatened by the typhoon, saving at least 88.2 percent of the crops, De Mesa said.
On Friday, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. directed the DA to assist the typhoon-hit armers in Ilocos Norte.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel said 15,000 tons of crops were destroyed by the storm, stressing the need to “replant as soon as possible.” |PND
