Metro Manila, Philippines — Days before communities suffered from the impact of “Kristine,” the Department of Agriculture (DA) told farmers to harvest crops to save as much as they can.
October is harvest season.
Agriculture spokesperson Arnel de Mesa earlier said the directive allowed the sector to harvest 70% of products.
The latest DA report showed at least P3 billion worth of agricultural damage, with the value expected to swell in the coming days. The storm damaged the rice and corn sectors.
The agency has interventions for affected farmers such as loans, indemnification, and assistance for farm inputs.
“But no one told the farmers what to do with all that produce harvested in their homes,” Ace Estrada of Rural Rising told NewsWatch Plus on Monday, Oct. 28.
“So, there was a sort of an overproduction in the farmers,” Estrada said. “They have so much corn in their houses. They have so many pumpkins in their yards.”
Estrada said the glut has pushed prices down. He said corn was sold at P10 per kilogram (kg) while pumpkin was at P5 per kg.
To help distressed farmers, social enterprise Rural Rising bought the pumpkins at P30 per kg and corn at P40 per kg.
The pumpkin produce was from Nueva Ecija, particularly the towns of Aliaga and Licab, and other parts of Nueva Vizcaya. The corn harvest was from the municipalities of Villasis and Bayambang in Pangasinan.
“The farmers are happy,” Estrada said.
Fresh produce for relief
Estrada said the fresh produce was sent to evacuation areas in Bicol region, the most devastated region in the country by “Kristine.”
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