Agri losses from Taal blasts reach P3.06B
Credit to Author: Eireene Jairee Gomez| Date: Fri, 17 Jan 2020 17:17:21 +0000
Taal Volcano’s outburst has wreaked havoc on the tilapia and bangus (milkfish) farms in lakeshore towns in Batangas, the Department of Agriculture (DA) reported.
The owners of 6,000 fish cages in Talisay, Laurel, Agoncillo and San Nicolas absorbed P1.6 billion in losses, DA’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operations Center said in a statement released on Friday.
Total agricultural losses from Taal’s violent episode reached P3.06 billion, the DA reported, with the fisheries bearing the brunt.
Also affected were growers of coffee, cacao, pineapples and other fruits, vegetables, rice and coconuts in Batangas and Cavite.
After fisheries, pineapple plantations had the biggest losses — P527.25 million. About 21,079 metric tons (MT) of the fruit in the municipalities of Amadeo, Silang and General Trias City were damaged by ashfall.
Coffee came in third, with 8,240 MT valued at P360.5 million.
Coconut losses amounted to P188 million; banana, P138.59 million; and cacao, P8.22 million, the agriculture department said.
Close to 1,500 MT of assorted fruits and vegetables in the cities of Tanauan, Silang, San Nicolas, Balete, Amadeo, Magallanes, Calaca, Laurel, Agoncillo, Cuenca, Alitagtag, General Trias City and Taal Sta. Teresita were affected.
Rice damage came to P5.6 million, affecting 308 hectares. For corn, losses were placed at P88.9 million involving 5,329 MT.
Damage in the livestock sector amounted to P20.1 million, with 1,923 heads of chicken, carabao, cattle, horses, swine and goats.
Agriculture Secretary William Dar said the Bureau of Animal Industry initially delivered 20 bags of animal feeds, drugs and medicines for the rescued livestock.
He added that the Philippine Carabao Center and National Dairy Authority provided 2.5 tons of roughages (1 ton corn silage and 1.5 tons rice straw) for immediate delivery to Batangas.
The Nueva Vizcaya Agricultural Terminal would donate 10 tons of assorted vegetables, which are expected to arrive on Saturday in Lipa City, Dar said.
An umbrella group of 11 vegetable farmers’ and traders’ associations in La Trinidad, Benguet, is coordinating with the DA in the Cordillera Administrative Region to have a truck haul 3 to 4 tons of assorted vegetables to evacuees, he added.
“Collection of vegetables will start on January 19 at the La Trinidad Trading Post and will be delivered to evacuation centers in Batangas in coordination with Kilusang Pagbabago and Philippine National Police,” Dar said.
The government has so far distributed P160 million worth of agrifishery inputs and livelihood aid to stricken residents.
After days of restiveness, Taal appeared to have quieted down, allowing authorities to speed up the distribution of relief goods to residents staying at evacuation centers.
The number of evacuees rose considerably after the government locked down 14 municipalities in the 15-kilometer danger zone around the volcano.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said of the 96,061 persons affected by the volcano’s unrest, 70,413 were staying at 300 evacuation centers.
The rest were staying with relatives in areas outside the danger zone, NDRRMC reported Friday.
Lito Castro, head of the Batangas Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, said in a radio interview the Department of Social Welfare and Development would be assigning camp managers to supervise the evacuation centers.
Despite the lull, Taal remained under Alert Level 4, which means that a hazardous eruption could come anytime.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported a “steady steam emission and infrequent weak explosions” on Friday.
Taal spewed dark gray ash 800 meters into the sky, scattering ash southwest to west of the main crater.
Phivolcs said the fissures in Lemery, Agoncillo, Talisay and San Nicolas widened by a few centimeters.
“Historically, ground fissuring is normal when the main crater erupts,” said Ma. Antonia Bornas, head of Phivolcs’ Volcano Monitoring and Eruption Prediction Division.
Bornas said the fissures could be a sign that an eruption could occur within hours to days.
There were 19 volcanic earthquakes on Friday.
About 150,000 households in the affected areas still have no electricity, but the number is expected to gradually decline as power plants return to full capacity, the Department of Energy said.
Power in Calaca, Lemery, Sta. Teresita, and San Luis had been restored, Energy department said.
With a reports from DEMPSEY REYES and FRANZ LEWIN EMBUDO