Tags: Administration, Cooperatives, Typhoons and Natural Disasters
By Alexander Villafania
QUEZON CITY, METRO MANILA – To protect farmers from agriculture-related problems such as typhoons, floods, fires, and parasite infestation, they must avail of government-led crop insurance, as encouraged by the Department of Agriculture (DA).
Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said that in light of series of typhoons and floods that have wreaked havoc on the country’s agricultural industries, farmers have to future-proof their investments and avoid the unnecessary problems brought about by natural disasters.
“They only need to go to the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) of their respective DA offices to avail of the insurance,” Alcala said.
Crop insurance would help farmers recoup their losses and allow the farmers to immediately replant after a calamitous event.
Alcala added that the DA is working with local government units to set up various models of insurance that target the specific agricultural industry in each area. This would allow the PCIC to manage the budgetary requirements for the insurance policies in each municipality or region.
One of the more successfully implemented insurance models is Negros Occidental, which has a 180 million-peso insurance program. Over 10,000 rice farmers are beneficiaries of the insurance.
Under this program, the Negros Occidental LGU shouldered 500 pesos or 60 percent of the insurance premium, which is actually worth 840 pesos per hectare every crop harvesting season. The remaining balance is paid for by the farmer.
This policy would allow up to 17,680 pesos per hectare in insurance in an event of crop destruction due to natural causes.
A similar insurance model is being implemented in Cebu though it is the LGU that is paying for the entire insurance premium.
Typhoons and flooding cause the most damage to crops, which could amount to hundreds of millions of pesos. Last August, crop damage by Typhoon Juaning reached 649 million pesos while agricultural facility damage was pegged at 414 million pesos.
The damage caused by Typhoon Pedring could be equally huge as it hits provinces in Central Luzon where many agricultural industries reside.
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