According to the Filipino Department of Agriculture, Typhoon Karding swiped crops across 164,217 hectares of farm lands in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, CALABARZON, Bicol Region, and Western Visayas. Total production loss is estimated at 154,734 metric tons (MT), or nearly P3 billion (€51 mln).
Affected commodities include rice, corn, high-value crops, livestock and poultry, and fisheries. Also, the DA said damage has been incurred in agricultural infrastructures, machineries and equipment.
High-value crops -- fruits, vegetables, legumes, and spices -- is the second most damaged crop group with total value loss of P754.8 million and volume of crops destroyed at 18,536 MT across 2,964 hectares of farm lands.
Agriculture Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban said that consumers should brace for higher rice and vegetable prices, which may increase by 15% to 20%, as crops lands were flattened by Karding.
Source: gmanetwork.com