COTABATO CITY—Bangsamoro Government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform (MAFAR), is currently distributing sacks of rice seeds to farmers affected by Tropical Storm Paeng in the region.
MAFAR-Maguindanao Chief Agriculturist Engr. Saudi Mangindra said that the initial intervention made by the MAFAR provincial office was the distribution of 20,000 sacks of rice seeds to the affected farmers.
“Almost 40 percent of the 20,000 sacks of rice seeds under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Program have already been distributed immediately to our farmers hit by the storm, and another regular program of MAFAR with 50,000 sacks of rice will also be intended to our farmers to help their recovery from the onslaught of TS Paeng,” Mangindra said.
BARMM’s agriculture and fishery sector losses an estimated Php586,096,553.00 from Tropical Storm Paeng, affecting 14,174 farmers, fisherfolk, and agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in Maguindanao, Cotabato City, and Special Geographic Areas (SGA) in BARMM.
Moreover, TS Paeng ravaged 24 municipalities composed of 209 barangays with an estimated value damaged and loss of Php560,211,553.00.
Five (5) barangays in Cotabato City loss Php2,220,000.00, while SGA’s 22 barangays loss of an estimated cost ofPhp27,115,000.00 in agriculture, livestock, and fisheries.
According to MAFAR-Maguindanao Provincial Director Ronjamin Maulana, those greatly affected commodities which include rice, corn, high-value crops, livestock, and fisheries are expected to increase after assessing and evaluating the actual damage and losses brought by the unprecedented tropical storm.
“So far, the recent TS Paeng is unique and considered to be the first typhoon that hardly hit us in the history of Maguindanao with so many losses and damages to our agriculture, fisheries, and livestock commodities,” Maulana said.
“As a result, about 6,444 hectares of rice, 4,367 hectares of corn, 183 hectares of assorted vegetables, 527 hectares of fishponds, and 770 assorted livestock are affected,” Maulana added.
Meanwhile, Assistant to the Provincial Director for Cotabato City and SGA Disumimba Rasheed said that they are awaiting for the completion of assessment process and priority identification for the affected farmers.
“As soon as our field staff complete the assessment process and identify the priority needs of our farmers in the area, we will support them immediately with agricultural inputs like seeds, fertilizers, livestock, and other commodities,” he said. (Kasan Usop, Jr./BIO)
