NOTE: THIS STORY WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE BOHOL CHRONICLE’S SUNDAY PRINT EDITION.
The Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh) through the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) would not expect that the rice yield in the province will be affected by the heavy rains brought about by typhoons Pepito, Quinta, and Rolly that hit the country, causing floods at rice farms in some towns in Bohol.
This developed even that some hectares of rice lands in the province had been flooded and submerged due to heavy rains recently.
Assistant Provincial Agriculturist Larry M. Pamugas said that the percentage of lodging of the ripening stage of standing crop in some known rice municipalities in Bohol is very little and could not affect the expected good harvest this wet cropping season.
Based on the consolidated reports from the Municipal Agriculturists/Municipal Agricultural Officers (MAs/MAOs) and municipal rice technicians from the affected towns, the damage on rice had registered at P19,899,660.17 wherein the town of Carmen was badly damaged that reached to P9,221,927.17 followed by Candijay (P5,264,900), Alicia (P3,906,000), Danao (P460,939.68), Sevilla (P341,700), Sierra Bullones (P216,688.50), and Loboc (P15,504).
Candijay Municipal Agriculturist ErmitaBualbared that about 178 has. ripening rice were submerged and flooded due to the heavy rains brought about by the three typhoons that recently wreak havoc in the different parts of the country especially in Luzon area.
Bual said that since at the middle of October when typhoons Pepito and Quinta had struck some provinces in Luzon, her town had already experienced heavy rains that caused lodging of the reproductive stage of planted rice.
She said the situation became worst when typhoon Rolly hit the country and brought heavy rains that flooded the 170 has. of rice lands for three days wherein the 39 has. of these were totally damaged located in barangays Pagahat, Tugas and Poblacion.
Other barangays affected were La Union, Lungsoda-an, San Isidro, Can-oling, Tubud (Tres Rosas) and Boyo-an, she added.
The rice seeds of the affected areas were no longer quality and in-fact, some were already germinated.
MA Bual said that not all of the affected farmers had insured their crops at the Philippine Crops Insurance Corporation (PCIC) added their losses and bad plight in this time of crisis due to Covid-19.
This wet cropping season most of the Boholano farmers have planted the hybrid and inbred rice which show good performance.
Bohol has 47,378 hectares of potentials rice areas maintaining to hold the title as “Rice Granary or Rice Basket” in Central Visayas. (AtoyCosap)