Typhoon Rai Costs Philippine Agriculture Sector $43.7Mln In Losses - Reports

The damage to the Philippines' agricultural sector due to super typhoon Odette, known as Rai internationally, reached 2.2 billion pesos ($43.7 million) on Wednesday, national media said, citing the Philippines Agricultural Department

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd December, 2021) The damage to the Philippines' agricultural sector due to super typhoon Odette, known as Rai internationally, reached 2.2 billion pesos ($43.7 million) on Wednesday, national media said, citing the Philippines Agricultural Department.

The category 5 typhoon winds of 160mph wrought severe damage to rice, corn, high value crops, livestock and fisheries, as well as to agricultural infrastructures, machineries and equipment.

The rice sector alone suffered more than half of the total losses, 1.3 billion pesos, and the volume of production loss is estimated at 55,774 tonnes on 48,3 hectares (119,2 acres), Inquirer said.

Earlier on Tuesday, President Rodrigo Duterte declared a state of calamity in six regions - Mimaropa, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao and Caraga, after 156 people were killed, 275 were injured, and 37 went missing in the disaster.

The agriculture department stated on Wednesday 85 it would allocate $34.8 million to support affected farmers and fishers. The total amount of losses is expected to surge in the coming days.