Maring's agri damage exceeds P1B

The damage to agriculture caused by Severe Tropical Storm Maring has surpassed P1 billion as of October 15.

On Friday, the Department of Agriculture (DA) reported that the storm's impact on agriculture had risen to P1.2 billion, affecting 40,225 farmers and damaging 68,693 metric tons of crops across 60,029 hectares in various regions.

The affected areas include the Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, MIMAROPA, Bicol Region, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, and SOCCSKSARGEN.

On Thursday, the DA reported P979.97 million in damage, affecting 35,429 farmers with a production loss of 59,514 metric tons across 52,132 hectares.

The storm has damaged rice, corn, high-value crops, livestock, and fisheries, with the DA allocating P822 million for interventions to aid affected farmers and fishers.