CROP DAMAGE due to Typhoon Goring (international name: Saola) is expected to be minimal as it is following nearly the same track as a previous storm, where damaged crops have yet to be replanted, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said.
Typhoon Egay (international name: Doksuri) from late July had tracked to the northwest, making landfall in the Babuyan Islands and inflicting damage to Northern and Central Luzon. It later caused extensive damage in China.
“The areas hit by Typhoon Goring were almost the same path hit by Typhoon Egay before. If there is any damage to be reported it will be minimal, because these areas were already hit by the previous typhoon,” U-Nichols A. Manalo, director of the DA Field Operations Services office, said.
He said that the flooding in some areas affected by Typhoon Egay have also been aggravated by Typhoon Goring, which was east-northeast of Tuguegarao as of Tuesday afternoon.
He added that the total damage caused by Typhoon Egay was estimated at P11.8 billion, including infrastructure, particularly irrigation systems.
“In term of volume corn losses were higher, but by value lost rice was larger,” Mr. Manalo said.
He said that about 67,528 metric tons of rice valued at P3 billion were affected. The equivalent totals for corn were 124,576 MT valued at P2.3 billion.
The DA has yet to release estimates of the crop damage done by Goring but is currently monitoring the storm’s track.
In a bulletin issued on Tuesday, the agriculture office said the areas likely to be affected by Goring include the Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR), as well as Regions I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII and VIII.
“To date, the standing crop that may be affected by (Goring) amounts to 2,150,881 hectares — 1,602,482 hectares for rice and 548,399 hectares for corn,” the DA said. — Adrian H. Halili
