BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occidental, Philippines – Tiempo suerte, literally the season of fortune or the harvest season in Negros island’s sugar industry, is off to a conspicuous start as monsoon rains led to crop damage worth around P140 million in the sugar capital of the Philippines.
As farmers and sugar producers continue to reel from the successive damages caused by the El Niño weather event and, shortly right after, the infestation of Army worms, the monsoon rains swamped fields, damaging crops worth a total of P142 million based on reports submitted to acting Provincial Agriculturist Dinah Genzola who reported it in turn to the office of Government Eugenio Jose Lacson.
Ricelands were most affected with 21 localities reporting damage to a total of 132 villages valued at close to P140 million.
Corn was the second most damaged crop in three localities in six villages estimated at around P935,000 while high value crops had the least damage in only one village in one locality.
More than 4,000 farmers were affected.
Fisheries, on the other hand, reported damages worth P4.2 million, affecting 142 fisherfolk.